


Q Stands for Quiet

by SuchaHag



Category: Game of Thrones RPF, Scottish Actor RPF
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Sailing, Scotland, Slow Burn, Smut, that damn boat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-15 02:24:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 25,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13603587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuchaHag/pseuds/SuchaHag
Summary: A fan actually wins the bid for Rory McCann's boat, but she has a few conditions. ⛵





	1. Bidding

**Author's Note:**

> The first three paragraphs of this chapter is 98% true.  
> This is a total headcanon of course, names have been changed to protect the not so innocent.  
> Timeline was moved to the Summer months  
> Not Beta'd please forgive errors and grammar.

She gripped the mouse too tightly, the cursor hovering over the **BID** button on eBay. “You are insane,” she said out loud to herself, pausing. “Oh live a little, you'll probably be outbid immediately, what will it hurt?” She looked at the bid again, she could afford it, the funds would come from her 'Mad Money’ account. She laughed, nothing madder than bidding on a boat docked in Scotland. A sailing yacht no less. Never mind that she didn't know one damn thing about sailing. She cursed Tumblr and Instagram for bringing the listing to her attention in the first place. Rory fucking McCann was selling his boat. He slept on this boat, ate on it….she blushed to herself, _fuck sake, control yourself woman_.

What did she have to lose, She was single and in a job that allowed her to work from home 99% of the time. Buying a yacht would be bat-shit crazy, but it could work. **IF** she won, she wouldn't win...her bid would still be well below the appraised price. “Fuck it.” she clicked the mouse and the screen proclaimed her as the top bidder. She laughed at her gumption and went to bed. “Imagine me, owning a sailing yacht!" she giggled and fell asleep. The next morning she stared in shock at the screen. She was STILL the high bidder. There was only a day left of the auction. _The snipers will come in and out bid me._ She had a excited knot in her gut. For the hell of it, she contacted Troon Yacht Haven where the boat was docked to ask about storage prices. If she won there would be no way in hell she could get to Scotland for at least a few weeks. She felt silly sending the email, but the Girl Scout in her was telling her to be prepared for any outcome of this folly. She read the auction again, it looked like she had two weeks to pay and they only accepted bank transfers. That part was easy, all of her money was sitting in an account and all it took was a visit to the bank. She found the The American Sailing Association website and they actually had several tutorial videos. She watched and laughed to herself at the waste of time. She was not going to win this boat, the fact that she was doing this made her feel a bit like an ass.

After several tutorials and a do it yourself boat restoration video she found on You Tube, she noticed that time was running out on the auction. She was still the top bidder. Perhaps it was time to pour herself a drink or two because things were getting real. A half hour before the auction ended she got a notification from eBay, she had been out-bid. She sank down into her chair feeling boneless with relief. But, at the same time she felt the sting at the bridge of her nose and tears prick the back of her eyes... _that was close, really close_. She was joking with some fellow fans online about holding a “RoryCon” on the boat. She’d use the sail as a projection screen to show his movie clips while having the boat docked so they can tour and visit it. “Well, that's not going to happen now.” she sadly said to herself. She typed up a post for Tumblr saying that she had failed in her endeavor and added a smiley, a winky face and then sad face emoji.... it was all tongue-in-cheek, she always knew she wasn't going to win. Her friends knew she wasn't going to win - it was a crazy thought and it was fun to see her name in the bid history. Moments later she heard from Troon Yacht Haven, sending a price list for various ways to store the boat and a note saying they were familiar with the vessel and the old owner. She sighed and closed the email, feeling bad that she actually wasted their time. She shut down her laptop and worked around the house trying to forget that for a few hours she actually had a chance to be a boat owner.

Two weeks later she had put it out of her head. The thrill of the bid was gone and life was back to normal. So it came as a surprise when she opened her email a saw emails from both eBay and the agent that set up the sale of the boat. The subject of the emails said “Second Chance”. “Second Chance”? Were they trying to sell me a similar boat?” she didn't want a similar boat, she wanted Rory's boat. She was half tempted to delete the email out-right. She decided it would be rude not to answer at least the selling agent, so she clicked on the email to read it. Moments later she sat staring at her screen eyes wide and her heart thumping in her chest so loud and so hard that she thought it was actually going to burst out of her rib cage. The top bidder was not legitimate and he backed out of the auction. She was now the top bidder and would she still like to purchase the boat? There was also a personal note from the agent hoping that she would buy it because the seller was anxious and really did not want to go through this process again. She sat and stared for a long time. She got up and ate and then returned to her computer and stared at it some more . She noticed the phone number for the agent. She took a deep breath and picked up her phone. Her hands were shaking so badly she nearly flung her phone against the wall. She took a deep shuddering breath, checked the time to make sure it wasn't too late in Scotland and she dialed. “Hi is this Peter of Euroyachts? I'm calling about the Catalina Q auction, I was the second highest bidder and I want to buy the boat. But I have a few conditions.”


	2. Conditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to travel to Scotland! When I put the bid in, I was going to request a hand delivered deed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still un-beta'd forgive me.

She stood at her departing gate at O'Hare weeks later and still in shock. She bought the fucking boat. When she called Peter with her conditions she really thought he would laugh at her and hang up. Instead, he considered her offer, told her he would have to talk to Rory and would get back to her soon. 30 minutes later, he called back telling her that her conditions were accepted and they just had to coordinate calendars to make it work. Rory had a long taping hiatus coming up in 3 weeks, would that be doable? It took her a moment to answer because she was in shock. Rory agreed? He agreed to meet her and personally give her the papers? He agreed to show her the workings of the boat and sail with her one time? Before fully hyperventilating, she agreed and promised to send her itinerary as soon as she made her travel plans. 

So now she was flying to Dublin, then to Glasgow. From there she'll take a short train ride to Troon. She had a room booked at Anchorage Hotel. Her boat was docked and ready for her. Her boat. HER boat. Well, her boat once Rory hands her the papers in two days. She felt light-headed. She was going to actually meet him. Talk with him, spend half a day with him on HER boat. She sat, put her head between her knees and took a deep breath. Doubt crept in her head. Who the hell did she think she was? She was a middle-aged, overweight woman that didn't know the first thing about sailing. He was going to be disgusted and beat it the fuck out of town the second he could. She could not compete with the women he worked with or the women that threw themselves at him. She felt tears well up in her eyes, she was an idiot. The best she could do at this point was to get the deed and spend the time to do the updates she was thinking of and resell the damn thing. She has all of the time in the world, her manager said as long as she was able to log in every day, she could work from anywhere. A quick email to the Marina confirmed she was set, they had wifi. And if she did stay on the boat, that would be her first project, a satellite, and wifi for the boat. She really didn't think it would come to that though. She planned on two weeks in Troon and if money was good, a visit with friends in Aberdeen and Inverness. Maybe even some family research in Dundee. 

First things first though, time to get Troon to start her adventure. She wiped her eyes and sat up straighter in her seat. She can do this! She did the homework and was a quick learner, the best she could do was try. If was a disaster, who cares? This was going to be an adventure no matter what the outcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some music in my head:  
> Aztec Camera "Oblivious" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B2Sc2G_5ZA  
> Jimi Hendrix "Are You Experienced" https://vimeo.com/109988488


	3. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Social awkwardness in Scotland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See previous notes.

Shockingly, she was able to sleep well on the plane on the way to Dublin. But her stomach was in knots for the second leg, she was both excited and nervous. Once in Glasgow, it was only a short taxi ride to the train. She was lugging two suitcases and her backpack behind her. She knew she overpacked, but she really didn't know how long she was staying or where after the first week. For the first time in her ordered life, she was flying by the seat of her pants. The train had a light passenger load and the conductor was very helpful. It was nearly 10 o’clock when she arrived in Troon and thankfully there was a taxi available.

Finally, she was at the hotel. It was nicer than she thought. She was dragging her bags to the front desk when a man trotted over to her to help. “You must be our American guest!” He beamed, “We've been expecting you, you must be exhausted!” Check in was quick and he escorted her to her room, pulling her bags along happily. “The lounge and bar are still open, please come down if you'd like and have a little something. We've been abuzz about your visit.” he smiled widely, eyes twinkling.

She gulped, “Abuzz?”

“Oh everyone knows about the American lass that bought McCann's boat - half of us think you’re mad, the other half thinks you're brilliant, but we are all intrigued. Here is your room. We hope to see you soon to hear about your adventure.”  She smiled at him, a bit embarrassed by his revelation.

Her room was nice. She took a shower and changed into a casual dress. After clipping up her hair and putting on some makeup, she felt refreshed. She felt pretty good actually. Looked cute too she thought, regarding herself in the mirror. The nerves of the last month stifled her appetite and her clothes fit nice and she actually had some curves. Maybe this Insanity was going to be good for her. She laughed, grabbed her purse and decided to get that drink downstairs before bed. The bar was nearly empty when she walked in and the man from the front desk wasn't there. It looked like the kitchen was closed, so she decided she'd get a Scotch and unwind before going back to her room. She held the local single-malt she ordered and started to make her way to a group of small tables. There was one man sitting at a lone table near the corner and she did a double take. Then she did a triple take, _my God it's him_. She stood there arguing to herself like an idiot for what seemed to be much too long. _What the hell_ , she thought, _it wouldn't hurt to just introduce myself._   She wouldn't bug him, she'll just say hello and that she looks forward to seeing him and then go back to her own table. His back was to her and she wasn't sure if he heard her approaching or not. She lightly tapped him on the shoulder, “Excuse me, Mr. McCann…” she said quietly.

He sighed and turned slowly, looking at her with narrowed, tired eyes. “Let me guess,” he sighed “you're a huuuuuge fan, you just loooove The Hound.” she stared, dumbstruck. “I bet you want me to tell you to ‘fuck off’ right?” He stared past her. Not angry, not happy…just a tired look.

She made the sound that can only be described as a choked squeak as she felt the humiliation splash across her face. Her inner voice screamed “Fuck! Fuck! Elise, you fucked up! Don't cry - _don't_ cry - ** _don't_** cry!” Her vision blurred as the tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She spun and all she could hear was her own head screaming to get out as her feet propelled her to the entrance of the lounge. As soon as she turned the corner, she ran to her room, not looking back. She finally got to her door, chest heaving for breath and noticed she still had the glass in her hand. “For fucksake I'm such a hot fucking mess.” she started to cry as she opened her door and slammed it behind her. She should never have gone down, she was a laughing stock, the idiot American lunatic that bought a fucking boat that she could not even sail. She downed the whisky, washed her face and changed into her nightgown. After collapsing in her bed, she let the tears flow - she fucked up, she was so presumptuous, he thought she was an idiot. He must hate her, maybe she should call the selling agent and just arrange to have them take the deed and resell the boat. She'll take the loss, at least she can get the fuck out of Scotland with some dignity. She cried herself to sleep, hugging a pillow to her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapters' soundtrack:
> 
> Aerosmith "Fly Away From Here" https://youtu.be/2xzDj-XOX2U
> 
> Radiohead "Creep" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkzRNyygfk
> 
> The Guess Who "American Woman" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkqfpkTTy2w


	4. Preparing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see previous notes.

She woke up in the early morning, before her alarm. She felt better physically and not too much better emotionally. She lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling.  She refused to run the events of the night before in her mind. _I need coffee,_ she thought warily. She showered and braided her hair slowly, she was really trying not to let the melancholy overwhelm her. She dabbed some concealer under her eyes and she was shocked that she didn't have bags, maybe she slept better than she thought. After a swipe of lip gloss, She left her room and made her way to the breakfast room for some food and coffee. They are just finished setting up when she saw the man that checked her in. She walked up to him and smiled, “Hello!”

“Why hello!  You missed some excitement last night! Mr. McCann was here and apparently snapped at a fan. She ended up running off.”

She stared at him, mouth hanging open “Really?”

“Oh yes, he felt horrible. He and a server looked for her, nobody knew who she was.” He looked at her, “He is hardly ever cross, poor lass must have really caught him at a bad time.” She shut her mouth, Rory thought she was an overzealous fan! She took a deep breath and decided not to reveal herself, maybe Rory wouldn't notice it was her when they meet tomorrow. At least he was upset that he was so brusque. she was relieved now, she didn't fuck up! _Let's just pretend that encounter didn't happen_ she sat and ate, planning her day.

The Yacht Haven was close to the hotel, so she packed a notebook, pens and the papers she printed out about the boat in her daypack and walked over. By the time she walked into the marina office, her nervousness was gone and she was excited to see the boat. Even though the official exchange and walkthrough was tomorrow, she wanted to make sure that the boat was at least somewhat clean and she really wanted to inspect the stove. She's never used a paraffin stove before and when she saw what kind it was, she looked it up and printed it out several instruction packets that she studied. She also wanted to survey if there were any supplies that were onboard and jot down things that she may have to buy.

“Hi, I'm Elise…” she started.

“Elise we have been expecting you!” a man came out from behind the desk and shook her hand warmly. “Your boat is at the dock and ready for you. Would you like to see it?”

She nodded, it's now or never, time to take a look at her new boat. One that she may be living on part-time or selling and running back to the States. As they were walking down the dock, she immediately saw it and her heart started beating hard again. She knew it was older. She knew was a floating bachelor pad for years. But she also knew that it was going to take some work, hard work for it to be livable again.

She stepped on the deck and looked around, drinking in her surroundings. At that point it started to really hit her, what she had done, where this boat has been, and the enormity of it of it all. She leaned against the coachroof and looked around at the harbor. _I'm doing this and I'm really going to make it work_ she determined. They went down into the living quarters and she looked around at the minuscule galley. It was tight for her, how the hell did he maneuver in this space? It was uncanny. _But if he could do it I can do it,_ she thought. The man, David, explained to her that while the boat was docked it was able to get power and everything was connected including the pumps for the bathroom and water.

“So it's a lot like a camper on water at this point?” She asked.

“Pretty much.” David replied.

Elise was relieved, camping she knew! She smiled and started poking around a bit and found that there were a few basics that were left for her. She pulled out her notebook and started a list of things that she wanted. David saw her writing and told her that they did have some rags, a bucket and a few cleaners that she could borrow to give the boat a light once-over.

“That would be fantastic!” she said to David, “Thank you so much.”  David left her on the boat to get the items and she turned to the stove.  David said everything was hooked up, so she pulled out her instruction manual and looked it over.  Could she at least get the burner to ignite? _Here goes nothing._ After a few tries, she got the burners working it was very similar to her camp stoves that used propane, it was just a different fuel. She poked around some more and found a saucepan, a pot, a few cooking utensils, and a couple plates. She just added more things to her list. She took a deep breath decided to look at the bathroom and the sleeping area. Again she was shocked at the size. _This is certainly a place to be alone with your thoughts,_ she chuckled. She noted that she needed some new linens and some paper goods, but otherwise it was pretty basic. She now had it in her mind that this was going to be just like camping on water, she can do this, she really could.

David returned with the cleaning supplies and asked her if she needed anything else. She said no and asked him if it would be alright if she stayed for an hour or so just to clean up a bit. He told he it was no problem at all so she set about to wipe down the boat. _Her boat_. Since there was power to the boat she noticed there was a small portable refrigerator too, she smiled and added a few more things to the list.

A few hours later she stepped back up onto the dock smiling. The boat was in solid shape, now that it was dust-free and straightened out, she found herself in love with it. “See you later, Q.” she said, smiling and walking back to the office to give David his supplies back. He let him know that she was going to be back later if that was alright. She walked back to the hotel with a spring in her step. Once she got to her room she took a look at the items that she packed from home for the boat and some of the items that she knew she wouldn't be able to find easily outside of the U.S. The transferred some items to her backpack for later and then looked up nearby stores her phone.

It was a quick ride to Morrison’s, where she found most if what she needed. The beans she wanted to use were dry only, she'll be soaking them in her room overnight. She laughed to herself as she sorted her purchases.  She headed back to the marina, this was a productive day.

After putting the new items away on the boat, she went back to her room at the Anchorage. There, she stared at her clothes. This was it. She had to look cute, but practical. She picked dark denim capri's, and a lightweight, long-sleeve, striped shirt. Cute, but non-slip shoes, and a windbreaker. She pulled out her backpack and put the windbreaker inside, along with sunglasses, gum, her notebook, pens, camera and makeup bag for touch ups. She opened the box of gallon bags and set it by a bowl she borrowed from the hotel kitchen. She ripped open the bag of beans and poured them into the bowl. She took the bowl into the bathroom, covered them with water and put a towel over it. She brought it back into the room and put it on the desk. Turning to her luggage, she found her stash of spice packets from home. She was so glad that her friend, the American ex-pat lamented years ago that many simple things that Americans took for granted back home could not be found in the UK. Elise determined that as a thank you, she was making a pot of chili for lunch and inviting Rory. She hoped he would say yes, but she was still afraid he'd run screaming as soon as he could. I'll be myself, it's the best I can be. She noticed it was later than she thought and left to have dinner and to regale the hotel staff with her “Yankee boat story”.

When she returned, she was in high spirits. Although they poked some fun at her, the general consensus was that Elise was brave, fun and taking life by the horns. She'll take it! Though it was a bit early, Elise knew it was going to be a very long day tomorrow, so she started readying for bed. She picked up her phone to set her alarm and noticed a new message. It was a Scottish exchange, but she didn't recognize the number. When it opened, her heart nearly stopped.

“I'll meet you at the boat at 9am, I can't wait to meet Q’s new owner”

_Noooooooooo!_

_OMG_

_OMFG this was real_

She was tempted to go on Tumblr and Instagram to connect with fellow fans; to squeee and fawn, but she stopped. She vowed, no social media on this trip. She told the girls that they won't hear from her once she returns to U.S. soil and they encouraged her that it was the right thing to do. To avoid further temptation, she uninstalled the most tempting app from her phone. Then she opened the message and her finger hovered over the reply icon. _Fuck it_ ….

“I'll be there! Looking forward to meeting Q's former owner ;) “

 _Holy shit,_ she hit send. _When did I get so ballsy??_   She giggled and crawled into bed, seriously, what did she have to lose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Little Bird” Annie Lennox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU-zTf5mjp8 
> 
> “How Far I'll Go” Auliʻi Cravalho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPAbx5kgCJo


	5. Sailing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elise signs the deed and sets sail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see previous notes.  
> I am NOT a sailor. However, I may have studied a certain boat and it's parts to try to make this as authentic as possible. Do not use this fic as a sailing guide.

Elise slept fitfully, she was so excited. After waking up  _ again _ at 1am, she forced herself to stay still. She must have fallen asleep because her alarm actually woke her at 7am. She showered and put on her outfit. She fussed too much over her hair, finally deciding to pull it into a loose ponytail. She checked the contents of her backpack again, making sure she had everything she needed for dinner, included her now soaked and ready beans. She decided to add an extra set of clothes in case she did something stupid and ruined what she was wearing. She went to breakfast and ended up just nibbling on some toast with her coffee and some juice. She went back to her room to brush her teeth and check her makeup for the millionth time. She grabbed her backpack and purse and started walking to the marina. With each step she was reminding herself to breathe. David waved to her as she passed the office and made her way to the dock where her boat was….her boat. That was going to take some getting used too. She realized she was fifteen minutes early, so she decided to unpack some of her dinner supplies while she waited. She pulled her Bluetooth speaker out and found the playlist she made before she left...she combined her Chicago, Scotland and sailing playlists into one that she called “Adventure!”. She hit shuffle and started unpacking to KoKo Taylor belting out “Wang Dang Doodle”. She doesn't remember dancing and she certainly didn't remember singing along as she worked until she heard an amused clearing of a very male throat.  _ Ohhhhh no. Nonono _ ...she froze. Her hand shot out and she grabbed her phone, Koko’s voice faded. 

“Of course that must be Chicago blues.” a voice said behind her.

Elise turned slowly and dragged her gaze up 6’6” inches to take in the man that was leaning against the entryway, arms crossed and grinning. 

“Hi….sorry about that.” she could actually feel her face turning red. 

“Don't be! I liked it! Who was it?” he asked.

Elise smiled, “KoKo Taylor.” she stepped forward, swallowing hard, “Hi, I'm Elise Erskine - I'm so happy to finally meet you.” 

“Hi I'm Rory —” Elise raised an eyebrow at him, he laughed “OK, you know who I am. But believe or not, I am happy to finally meet you myself!” He reached his hand out and she took it, her hand disappearing. Her tummy did a little flip. “Since we are inside, we'll start here.” he sat at the table and opened his own backpack. “First things first, let's make you Q’s official owner.” He pulled out some papers and a pen. He fumbled a little bit more in his bag, pulling out reading glasses. He slipped them on and looked down quickly. He signed some areas and motioned her over. “Sign here and here.” She leaned in front of him and signed, she noticed he slipped the glasses off and stuffed them back in the bag.  “Congratulations, you own a boat.’

“I own a boat…wow” she laughed softly. 

After she put the papers away in her pack, she pulled out her “boat study” papers and a pen. 

Rory laughed, “You seem to be quite prepared!”

“I've been studying...look!” she went to the stove and ignited it immediately. She grinned proudly and laughed., “I know...it's not much - but first things first. At least I can cook onboard now.”

“Cook? You cook?”

“I know my way around a kitchen or galley in this case. I'm far from a gourmet, but as you can see, I am not starving.”

“You look just fine to me.” He smirked, “OK, no stove tutorial needed. I am impressed, I nearly set fire to this baby the first time I lit that beast.”

Elise laughed at that and he joined her. Soon they were going through everything in the lower quarters, instruments, pumps, tanks, generators...Elise making notes on her papers. He showed her how the dining area turned to a seating area and how to cover it further into a sleeping area. It could be two narrow berths or one large bed

“Just like a camper...eer should I say caravan since I’m in Scotland?” she asked.

“I think I like camper better, and yes boat living is very much like camping. No space is wasted and nearly everything has a dual purpose. Do you camp?”

“I had a pop-up camper that I was able to tow with my car. I would try to get away at least a few times a year. I loved camping in the early Autumn the most.” She paused, “The camping in Scotland probably blows any place I camped in the flat midwest out of the water.” 

“It's different, but I wouldn't say better.” She showed her the minuscule bathroom. “Did you have a bathroom in your camper?” 

“Nope, so this is a real luxury.” she deadpanned and they laughed again. This was too easy. He was funny and a good teacher so far. It was going to suck when this is all over. 

They went on deck. Elise pointed to everything she could and named it and what it did, while Rory leaned against the mast. “I had to show off a bit, but even though I studied what to do and watched videos - my knowledge is purely theoretical. I haven't actually DONE anything. I don't even know if the knots I have practiced would ever work.”

Now Rory stared, “You practiced KNOTS too? Quite the GirlGuide!” 

“I may have been a Girl Scout, yes.” she blushed and picked up a rope and started working it, “See, here is my figure-eight knot.” 

Rory took it, “This is good, really good…” he shook his head, “honestly, Elise - I thought you would be like a deer in headlights, not listening and this would be over in an hour. You are refreshing! I think you'll do well on Q.”

Elise beamed at the compliment. “Thanks, that means a lot.”

“Are you ready to sail? I mean really sail. There is an island that is not too far from here. Perfect for a day trip,.”

“I would love it, and I can provide lunch! That is...if you want.” She paused, “Sorry, I am being forward…”

“No, don't be sorry..don't ever be sorry,” he looked at her then, really looked at her, and his eyes widened just a touch.

_ Oh no, does he recognize me from the bar?! _ She panicked inwardly to herself and she quickly looked out towards the water. 

He continued, “I'd love to have anything you make for lunch.” She turned back and smiled. 

“Now, let's get you sailing.” 

The mainsail was ready, Rory turned the winch a bit to loosen it just enough to catch the breeze.  “As you can see, you have an automatic winch and a hand winch.”  He looked at the other sail and shook his head.  “This is a genoa, we can roll this one up since there is no headwind.  It’ll make things less complicated.” He looked over at her and crooked his finger, “Come on over here and put that knot knowledge to work’. Elise stood next to him and tied the ropes and secured the rigging. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he put his hands over hers and leaned over her shoulder. “This one needs to be a bit tighter…” She was absolutely sure that he had to hear her heart jack-hammering in her chest. It was so loud in her ears. 

“Thanks” she answered.

He untied the lines from the dock cleats and made sure the fenders were secure and pushed off

“There is a steady wind westward, we won't need the engines for now.”  He sat on one of the cushioned benches at the aft of the boat and grabbed the tiller. He steered the boat effortlessly away from the pier and headed out into the harbor.  He maneuvered the vessel along the road toward the inlet.  “I have to admit, I'm showing off a little bit. You should use the engine to maneuver in these tighter spaces until we get into open water.’ He grinned at her, albeit a little sheepishly. “Now where is your speaker? If what you were listening to earlier was any indication, I think I'll like your playlist.”

She quickly went below and came back up with her phone and speaker. “It's a mix of three playlists, so forgive any musical whiplash.” She hit shuffle again and “Sweet Home Chicago” started. She swallowed the lump that grew in her throat.

“Robert Johnson? Of course you’d have a Chicago tune in the mix.”

“I'm missing Blues Fest this year, even though I'd rather be here than anywhere else in the world.” she smiled at him, meaning every word.

“I've never been to Blues Fest, or Chicago for that matter.” he admitted.

“You need to visit at least once, I happen to know someone that would be a great guide.” Good Lord, was she flirting?  _ Reel it in, Elise _ .

“Maybe I will, if you ever return to Chicago that is.” He smiled back. He was flirting back! Wasn't he? Was he? 

“It's a date!” she winked at him and sat down across from him. Taking in the scenery, it was beautiful and the sounds of the marina were getting fainter. “Q stands for quiet” she signed softly her herself. 

“What was that?” Rory asked, cocking his head slightly.

“Just a little self-revelation I had about Q.” 

“Care to share?”

“Maybe later.” she smiled, blinking in the sun. She dug into her pack and pulled out some sunglasses. She put them on quickly. She would need to invest in several pairs and some hats. 

Her light blue eyes were so sensitive to brightness. She pulled out a bag of pretzels. “Snack?” 

“Sure!” he opened his pack and pulled out two bottles of water “Drink?”

“Sure!” he laughed and took one. They settled in a comfortable silence, enjoying the smoothness of the boat cutting through the water. 

He pointed to an island in the distance, “That is where we are headed, straight ahead.” he looked at the tiller, “Care to steer for a bit? It’ll be easy on a day like today.”

After about 10 minutes, Rory got up. “I am going to radio Brodick harbour and make sure there is a slip open for us. Usually there is, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.” Elise nodded and he went below deck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elises's Chicago tunes:  
> Wang Dang Doodle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w6IY0v-0pA
> 
> Sweet Home Chicago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8hqGu-leFc


	6. Icing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elise has to learn that Rory sees everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the name of boat safety, what Elise does is a massive no-no, but I had to do it for creative, fluffy reasons.  
> All previous notes apply.

She could get used to this. She could get used to sailing with him. She knew that once she was alone on Q, she would barely venture out of the harbor - even a day trip like what they were doing was not a beginner folly. She just needs to sail a bit each day and practice. She needs to practice the instruments and how to read nautical maps. She could do this. He came back up and took control of the tiller again. She looked toward the bow of the boat and got up and went as far up as she could. She was pretty sure Rory couldn't quite see what she was doing, the sail was blocking her from view.  Sitting on the hatch at the end of the coach roof she straightened her back looking out at the sea, wind in her face. She threw out her arms and proclaimed “I'm queen of the world!” 

She heard a laugh directly behind her, “You are not the first person to do that, but I said king.” She gasped and started to stand up quickly, nearly falling. Rory was behind her and had his arm around her as steadied her.  “I’m sorry I startled you,” he paused as he looked at her “Boy, you blush easily, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.”  Elise put her hands on her cheeks, they are flaming hot.

“It’s something I am working on.” she moved to sit down again. “Wait, who is steering?!”

“I set the tiller, it’ll be okay for a bit.” Elise started to head back to the cockpit and Rory put his hand up, “Wait, you need to do it correctly.” he motioned to the bow.

She stared at him “Ummmm do what?  Did I forget to tie something down?”

“No, the “Titanic” bit.” he sat where she was sitting a moment ago and held out a hand, “Come here.”  Elise stood and took his hand, watching it disappear again and he brought her in front of him, closer to the bow. She turned so her back was to him, she had to tell herself to breathe.  “It’s ok, I’ve got you.” with that, his hands circled her waist.  His little fingers were on her hips and his thumbs were at the bottom of her bra line.  She was going to die right here, her legs were not listening to her, they felt like noodles. How she managed to stay upright was a miracle, she had her hands over his to keep her nerves in check.  

Once she got her bearings, she straightened up again and flung her arms out. “I’m queen of the world!!” she laughed. She stood like that for a moment and started to turn.  She threw caution to the wind and hugged him, “Thank you so much, I needed that.” she felt his hands slide up to return the hug. 

“Yes, you did.” he said playfully. He looked over her head, “There is the island, do you see it?”

Elise turned to look and nodded, very conscious that his hands were still on her hips, albeit loosely.  She did not want this day to end, she thought sadly.  “I think I’ll go down and start cooking.”  she turned back to him and held his gaze for a beat, thankful for her sunglasses that he couldn’t see the sadness that was threatening to spill from her eyes.

He moved aside and helped her back to the aft, “Can’t wait!” 

Once downstairs she struggled to compose herself.  Her stomach was flipping, her chest was nearly heaving like a heroine in a trashy romance novel and frankly, her panties were about to combust.  “My kingdom for some ice cubes to stuff down my pants.” she mumbled to herself. 

 

She had swiped the speaker on the way down and turned up the music as she pulled items from the small, packed refrigerator and set up a prep area on the table. The meat went into the pot first to brown while she started chopping celery.  She stopped periodically to stir the meat to make sure browned evenly. She was glad that she paid extra for a little fat so there was nothing really to drain out. She poured some water into the gallon bag of beans and added her chili spices. She kneaded the bag to mix it up and poured it over the meat. “Hair of the Dog” came on then, and she swiveled her hips to the beat of the cowbell as she stirred the mixture. She bent down, still dancing, to check the height of the flame to simmer the chili. 

“Whooo, we definitely need to go out dancing!”  Rory was peering in the companionway and biting his bottom lip, smiling.

“I can't dance!” Elise protested, laughing. Trying not to hyperventilate, _ I REALLY need to buy ice. _

“Like hell you can't, you dance better than me!” he started to stand, “The wind picked up, maybe another 20 minutes to the island. Thankfully I called, they are holding a spot for us, it's a busy day.”

“Perfect, the chili will be ready by then.” She stared at the pot. He  _ is _ flirting, holy hell. She needed to calm the fuck down before they got to that island. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nazareth - Hair of the Dog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyXz6eMCj2k  
> (listen and swivel those hips!)


	7. Islanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They make it to the island, but weather happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *see previous notes*

The chili was done and sitting on the stove when Rory called her up. She grabbed her backpack and climbed the stairs.  “We are going to have to go to engine power soon, just do as I say and we'll have the sail down in no time.”  She recalled everything she read in the tutorials and listened to all of his instructions. Sure enough, the sail came down easily and quickly.  They went to where the engine controls were and fired up the engine. “The tiller is going to have a different feel now, it's a bit tricky- you are going to need a lot of practice.” She went to the cockpit and took over the steering. What she didn't expect was him sitting directly next to her and putting his hand over hers. It took every ounce of her concentration to keep from shaking and focus on steering. The boat got close and he told her to hold the tiller steady while he cut the engine.  He then jumped off unto the dock and tied the first cleat and quickly went to the aft and pulled the line for that, tying it also. “Ok, put some of the knots you learned to use and tie the rest of her up.”. Elise went to the side and started securing Q into place, fully aware that she was being watched.  She finished and stood proudly, hands on her hips.  Rory tugged on every line, nothing loosened.  “Nice job, you'll be a sailor in no time!”.

She stepped off the boat and her legs felt jiggly and she wobbled.  “Sea legs already?” He laughed, “Don't worry, you'll be walking straight again soon.”  They walked toward several buildings, there were ferries and the area was bustling. She quickly found a  bathroom and then fixed her hair and makeup while she was in there.  Her outfit had miraculously stayed clean.

When she reemerged, Roy was leaning against the wall waiting for her.  “There are tables by the beach, we can eat lunch there if you'd like.”

“That would be great!’ They went back to Q and Elise put bowls, spoons, and crackers in her pack while Rory found a lid and secured the top of the pot.   

“Let's go” he carried the pot and they found a table half on the beach in half in the trees.  They sat on the beach side, in the sun. Elise set the table and took a deep breath, “I hope you like it, don't lie if you don't -ok?” She spooned chili in the bowls and handed one to Rory with a stack of crackers. She gave them each a bottle of water and sat down with her bowl and avoided his gaze as started eating.

“Ohhhhh it's good!  Really good, honest.  I may have seconds.”

She smiled, it did turn out well. It was a simple meal, but she was happy he liked it.

After the table was cleaned up, Elise kicked off her shoes, took off her socks, pushed her capris up a little bit more and then they walked along the beach.  The water was too cold for Elise to wade, but it was a beautiful day.  Rory pointed inland and talked about the historical sites and hiking.  "I'll have to come back here!" she said.

"Yes we do." he answered.  They turned and headed back to their table, Elise kept replaying that answer in her head.

Elise found a chair and dragged it onto the sand.  It was pretty warm out in the sun and she wanted to enjoy it. She noticed some pretty dark clouds in the distance and really didn't want to waste the warmth that was in the air now.  She pushed her sleeves up to her shoulders, clapped her sunglasses over her eyes and relaxed into the chair. Suddenly there was a shadow over her.  “Post meal nap?” Rory smiled down at her.

“Maybe.” She grinned back.

“I'm headed up to the harbour office I'm going to check some weather reports and see if there's any new news going on. See you in a few?” he questioned.

She waved a hand and he was off, she closed her eyes again. She must have fallen asleep because the next time there was a shadow and she opened her eyes it ended up being the clouds. There weren't many but she can see the ones in the distance were much closer than they were before. She looked around a bit and noticed Rory walking towards her, he was not smiling.

“There is a front coming through and we won’t make it back before dark our headwind would be much too strong..” he explained, “I checked the equipment on the Q and it seems some of your navigation equipment isn’t working properly.”  he looked down briefly, not meeting her eyes. With the winds picking up, it’s not smart to travel tonight.”

“Really?  I should complain to the former owner.  He really owes me now!” she laughed. He smiled back at her, then frowned.

“There’s ….more” he paused.

She tilted her head.  “What is the Q in danger of sinking?”

“No, no nothing like that!  This island is packed with tourists and there is a fest going on inland. Every room is booked.  I have the gents doing a search for me…”

“We have the boat, Rory.”

Saying his name felt funny to her, but she kept on going, “You said yourself it’s like a floating camper.  I’m sure there is room for both of us.”

He stared at her.  She reddened, _that took balls_.  She just proposed the equivalent of sharing a room! “Wow, that is really inappropriate of me…” she started.

“It could work though….” he mused, “let’s see what we can do before we panic.”  he reached for her hand to help her out of the chair.  Damn those butterflies, she wished they would get out of her stomach. Talk about a pipe dream, she had better get her feelings in check. They gathered their items and headed to the docks.

Back on the boat, Rory made quick work of the seat cushions and the table.  He moved boards and flipped and pulled the cushions into a mattress.  Found linens and blankets and moved with ease in the small space.  Soon he stood back and motioned to the result.  It was quite large and the full width of the boat.  There were two sets of blankets too.

“This, this could work….” she said, really trying to sound casual. _Face it, Elise, you would readily share a single berth with the man._

 _“_ With our blankets, it can be like separate sleeping bags.  Boat camping for the win.” he tried joking.  

“I get the port side!” Elise laughed.

“It’s a deal.” he smiled down at her. “I am sorry though, everything on this boat should work.  When we get back, I am having everything checked again and will replace everything that is not 100%.”

She started to say it was ok, but he raised his hand.  “No, don’t say it's OK. “ He pulled out his phone and smiled.  “By the way, did I tell you I was taking you out for dinner? The reservation is in about 30 minutes.”  She looked at him, shocked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gerry Rafferty "Island" https://youtu.be/pDjgMDhDRjM  
> I love Gerry Rafferty and the whole "City to City" album.


	8. Dining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner! Elise still can't determine if this is a date or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See previous notes.

She grabbed her backpack, “Can we head to the bathrooms again on the way? I have to make myself presentable.”

He grabbed his pack and softly nudged her, “We can, but you're cute just the way you are.” He turned and went back up to the deck.  She stared after him, dumbfounded.  She was going to share a bed with him later?   _ He thought she was cute? Is this a dinner date? _ She swallowed the giddy panic and finally followed him.

Rory told her he wanted to tell the guys to stop searching for rooms and he’d meet her by the restrooms.  She told him to take his time and headed off. As she was walking, she noticed a small pop-up boutique. I'll just zip in here and see if they have anything, she thought. There were a few summery dresses on a rack right up in front and she found one in her size with flowing sleeves that ended just above the elbow and the hem reaching just below the knees. It was light blue with a purple and red pattern on it. Not exactly her taste, but it was cute. It was something new and she was starting to feel a little grungy in the clothes she was wearing now. She had unpacked her spare outfit on the boat to make room for the lunch supplies, thank goodness for this place! They had a small room in the back and she quickly tried it on, it fit and she wasted no time buying it along with a pair of sandals that matched it quite well. Her boat shoes and socks would have looked ridiculous. She put her worn clothes in her pack and ran to the bathrooms, brushed her teeth, freshened up her makeup and fixed her hair. Thank goodness she prepared her daypack wisely.  _ This is better than nothing, I don't look too bad for being stranded on an island _ . The nap she took on the beach caused her to have a little bit of a glow and some freckling across her nose. She was thankful she didn't burn. She glanced at her phoneshe,  had minutes to spare.  She trotted back out the door and slid next to Rory, who was looking at a map on the wall. “Hi!”

He turned and did a double take. “Wow... how did you... you only had... that was quick… wow.” His  eyes raked up and down and she felt the blush start on her cheeks and go up to her ears.

“Thanks” she said glancing to her shoes.

“Elise you really need to know how to take a compliment.” Rory laughed and used his finger to lift her chin.

She looked him in the eye, and straightened up. “Thanks.” Ohhhhh her stomach was fluttering so bad. The dress made it impossible to think about stuffing ice down her pants.  They walked the short distance to Fiddler’s where a two person table was waiting for them. Rory slipped his reading glasses on and tried to angle the menu so Elise couldn't see. “Rory... Roorrrry.” She put her finger on the top of the menu and pulled it down. “Are you serious?” He glanced over the rim of the glasses and gave her a look. Maybe she can accidentally spill the ice water on her lap…. “I think you look adorable, stop hiding.”

“You're mad.”

“We're allll mad here.” She giggled, making him smile. “If I have to take a compliment, you have to too.” 

“Deal.” he answered, putting the menu on the table and reading it normally with his glasses. 

The meal went well, they discussed music, books, travel, her job. She asked about the times he's been in the US and what he thought. She told him again that he really needed to visit Chicago and that she would be happy to be his guide.

“Oh, you're going back?” he asked.

She pushed the food around on her plate a bit. “I'm not sure quite yet. I do have another week and a half here. I'm going to visit friends and do some genealogy research. I may stay here longer, it depends on my job and my situation back home. 

“What  _ is _ your situation back home?”

She paused, “You know, now that I really think about it I don't  _ have _ anything back home. My condo is paid for so there's no rental issue to deal with, I have no pets, I have no plants… I just may extend my stay here for a week or two.”

“Good because you really need to work on sailing that boat.”

She looked up quickly and noticed that he was teasing her so she nudged his leg with her foot “Ha-ha I have make sure some equipment is upgraded too.” She winked at his wide-eyed look.

“You said you had a revelation about Q. Ready to tell me?” He prodded gently, his fingers brushing the back of her hand. Her fingers lifted nearly by reflex and their fingers intertwined for a moment. 

“Q stands for quiet. It was so peaceful on the the water. It made my heart happy.”

Rory squeezed her hand and fully interlaced his fingers with hers. “I did sell the boat to the right person.” Soon, they let go to finish eating. Elise’s mind was racing.  This  _ was _ a date! It had to be! What the hell was going on? She was glad the lights were low in the restaurant, because she could feel the heat climbing like a vine, curling up her back and to her neck.

Soon dinner was over and they walked back down to the dock where Q was moored.

Elise started to get nervous.  She sat in the cockpit and looked out over the water.  The wind was blowing and it was getting chilly, she knew she had to go below deck. Rory came and sat next to her. “Remember what we discussed, just like camping and if you really are uncomfortable you tell me and I'll find a place even if it's in the harbour office.”

Elise swallowed. It wasn't the fact that she was uncomfortable it was the fact that she was a little  _ too _ excited for this and she was trying hard not to fangirl or become too attached. She was certain even if she didn't know who he was before, she would find herself head over heels for this guy. She was determined not to ruin this magical day, she had to play it cool. “It's late, it's cold, let's go below deck.” she stood and headed down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Judy has been serenading me with this song in my head while writing this fic.   
> I blame any and all fluff on her. ;)   
> Judy Garland “Zing Goes the Strings of my Heart” https://youtu.be/Kq0_G9mYppo


	9. Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's bedtime, are they going to make it through the night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See previous notes and remember this is not beta'd (and I'm a terrible proofreader).

Elise fished through her backpack cursing to herself. “Shit, shit, shit, shit!” She didn't even think about it before, what in the hell was she going to wear to sleep in? Her face grew redder and redder. She decided the dress was soft enough and she'll just sleep in that. She sat and took off her shoes. Rory looked over at her from the stairs.

“You're not sleeping in your dress, are you?”

“I didn't exactly pack pajamas today. I'm good but not that good.”

He laughed and picked up his pack. He opened the top and started rifling through it. “Here.” He tossed her a wadded up bundle. It was a t-shirt.  She looked at him, wide eyed. “I bet it'll go down to your knees and don't forget we'll will be wrapped up in our own blankets.”

“Dare I ask what  _ you _ were going to be wearing to bed?”

“My tank and boxers…” he said, suddenly looking guilty. “I'm getting too comfortable aren't I? Maybe I should go to the marina.”

“No, no that's ridiculous. We're both adults here and you're right, we have separate blankets and our own sides of the bed. All I ask is for a few moments of privacy to change and I'll grant you the same.” She smiled at him and hid her shaking hands behind her back.

He nodded and headed upstairs. She quickly got out of the dress and slipped the t-shirt on. Sure enough, it was down to her knees. It was also super soft and slightly smelled like him.  _ This is going to be a long night _ . She wrapped herself in her blanket and poked her head up to the deck. “Okay your turn to change. Just call me when you're ready.” They switched places, and a few moments later she heard her name and headed back down. He was in the bed all wrapped up and as far over as he could go. There was plenty of room for both of them. She took a steadying breath and climbed up tucking the blanket around her. He reached over and pulled the cord for the light. The moonlight was hazy because of all the clouds, and that is all the light they had in the room. As her eyes adjusted, she saw his outline not even a foot away from her. 

“Well, good night…” She started.

“I'm sorry.” he said.

“What?” She was puzzled.  _ What on Earth would he be sorry about?  _ This was the best day of her life. 

“I'm sorry,” he said again, “I had a drink in me I was tired, I was crabby and I should not have snapped at you.”

She sat up on her elbow and turned to him, eyes wide.  _ He did recognize her!  _ Her throat tightened and her eyes started to burn - this is not good. 

“I... ummmm I swear I wasn't coming up to you to bug you. I just wanted to introduce myself and tell you I was looking forward to buying the boat. Please believe me.” she explained quickly.

“I do and that is why I'm apologizing. No I would have apologized anyway because that was not a very nice way to treat anyone. I may get sick of people telling me to recite lines from the show especially the 'fuck off’, but I shouldn't hold it against them because I know they are excited to see me.” He sighed, “My God that sounds arrogant.”

“No, I get it. To a fan it's a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, to you it's a constant.” she chuckled softly, “I should have given you your privacy, your reaction wouldn't have happened if I had.”

At this he turned and lifted himself up on his elbow, “No, this was different. You weren't being intrusive, we actually were supposed to meet each other and you were just introducing yourself. I was an asshole.”

Elise looked over and saw those chestnut eyes staring at her and melted, she stuck out her hand “Truce?” he took it and squeezed gently.

“Truce.”

They settled back down. Elise now staring at the ceiling, chewing her lip. “Besides,” she said, slowly “if I were going to go up to you and request you to say a line, it certainly would  _ not _ be 'fuck off’. In fact it wouldn't even be from ‘Game of Thrones’.”

“Really,” his voice came out of the darkness “what would it be?”.

Elise's eyes stung again with unshed tears, she didn't want this to end. Yet, she was  _ so _ scared to be so frank. She turned so she faced the wall. “I'll tell you tomorrow.” She closed her eyes and let sleep take her. 

She was dreaming of a train, a steam locomotive rumbling down the track. My God was she on the tracks? The train was so loud and everything was shaking…

She gasped as she sat up… It was only a dream. Wait, was it?  She rubbed her eyes and shook her head a little bit while she looked around.  Rory was on his back, sleeping. However he was snoring so loud that she was actually in shock nobody was pounding on the hull of the boat.  _ Holy Shit _ ...  She pushed on his shoulder hoping to turn him toward the wall. She had absolutely no luck. His arm was crossed over his body so she thought maybe pulling would be easier than pushing. She grabbed his forearm with both hands and pulled towards her with all her might hoping he would shift over to his side. At that moment, she heard the wind gusting and the boat rocked the little to the side and Rory started rolling. Not only did he roll on his side, he rolled completely over on his stomach, pinning her underneath him. 

His arm was bent around her head. If anyone were to look, all they would notice was a nose, one wide eye, a bit of forehead and a foot . The rest of her was completely covered. She tried not to panic.  _ Rory is going to wake up to a dead, smothered body. _ She tried to push him off, but her arms were pinned. She tried to say something, but her words were muffled. She tried to nudge with her nose and wiggle her head free, it was a damn near impossible task. The top of his bicep was over her mouth. She had an idea that would most likely disgust him but she was going to start panicking soon. She stuck her tongue out and to his arm, licking him. All he did was shift a bit.  _ Desperate times calls for desperate measures _ she assured herself, and she bit him.  _ That _ woke him up. 

“Buggering hell?!” He said waking up. A few seconds later, he noticed his pinned bedmate and scrambled off. “Oh my God! Are you okay?!”

Elise nodded as she was catching her breath. She started laughing nervously as she told him what happened.  “Next time, just shake a shoulder a little bit and tell me I'm snoring.” Usually I'll roll to my side.  In fact, that was what I did with you earlier.”  He chuckled.

“Whaaaa?” She was mortified, “I'm so sorry…”

“I think we are even.” he laughed, “it's too early to get up, let's go back to sleep.”  He laid on his side, facing her, and still snickering. “Nice bite, by the way.”

Elise giggled and then huffed.  She went to turn and realized her blanket was pushed over and Rory's t-shirt was pushed up to her stomach. She pulled it down and wondered just how much could be seen in the moonlit cabin. She fluffed her pillow and settled herself back under her covers. She flexed her hand and immediately felt his and give it a little squeeze “”Good night, Rory.” He squeezed back and didn't let go. 


	10. Back to Troon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their time sailing is almost over, will Elise see him again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not beta'd. Please excuse errors (if I catch them later, I do correct)

She woke to the sound of footsteps deck side and whistling. She rubbed her eyes and grabbed for her phone. 8 o’clock!  She certainly slept in a bit. The bed was empty and the other blanket was folded. She looked over at the pillow and touched it for a moment willing herself not to grab it and hug it. Today they would return to Troon and he would be on his merry way. She honestly didn't know which path she would take at this crossroads. She could return home, sell the boat, and chalk this up to a wonderful adventure. She could also stay here alone and be the crazy boat woman. She decided not to make any decisions yet, she did have some time and some traveling to do she might as well extend her adventure and embrace the freedom that she had at this moment. 

She changed quickly listening to make sure Rory didn't come downstairs. She left her shoes and socks off though. Might as well be comfortable. She went deck-side and went to the cockpit and sat down. “Good morning.” Rory said.

“Good morning to you. I hope you slept well, considering.”

“Considering that I almost smothered you and you bit me.” he laughed.

Elise turned red, “I need to apologize for that, I was in a panic…” 

He reached over then and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “It's alright, no foul - no harm.

I hope you don't mind but I did go to the marina to check the forecasts and to get something to eat for breakfast. I thought we could leave as soon as we were done.”

_ Anxious to get back so he could get away from me _ Elise thought sadly. She accepted the wrapped package and started unwrapping it slowly.  After they ate, Elise cleaned up and Rory started loosening the ropes that held the boat to the dock. 

“I don't want you disappearing below deck Elise.”  he said, “We are going to sail this boat back to Troon together.” 

She smiled, “Aye, aye  captain!”

He returned her smile, ‘For this journey you are the first mate, after this  _ you _ are the captain of this boat.” The realization of that stung a little bit, but she tried not to show it and smiled back at him.  Once the ropes were all untied and coiled back onto the deck they both set upon readying the sails. Rory had Elise look at the compass and set the direction. He also had her talk through the navigation and the plans on returning to Troon. “You are doing very well, you learn quickly.”

“I had a great teacher.” She looked up at him, smiling.  She realized then how easy it was to smile at him.

“I had a willing student”  Once pushed off from the dock, they set sail. The stormy winds and clouds from yesterday were gone. The sea at the moment was like glass. “We may need to utilize the motor if the wind doesn't pick up.” Rory said looking at the slack sails. Elise adjusted the rigging a bit and the sails billowed lightly filling with the soft breeze. 

“You're right, at this rate, it'll take double the time to get back.” she agreed.

“Not that there's anything wrong with that, nothing nicer than a calm day at sea drifting along with no care in the world.” he sighed. 

Eliza looked towards the island they were leaving,  _ it almost seems like he doesn't want this day to end either. Was it the boat or the company? _ She hoped at least it was a little of both. Elise sat with her hand on the tiller to guide the boat as it slowly cut its way through the water. Rory's phone chirped at that time.

He looked down and frowned. His fingers moved quickly, punching at the screen, eyebrows knit together. Another chirp sounded. As he read, he cursed softly to himself and quickly tapped out another reply. He put the phone down and sighed. “If the wind doesn't pick up we are definitely going to have to use the motor, my hiatus has been cut short.” Elise looked at him surprised, “Really? I'm sorry to hear that!”

“We have to do a re-shoot of a full scene and by the time we finish that, this break will be over and I'll be needed to film the new scenes.” He frowned, “It's the nature of the business but I was really enjoying my break”

“Enjoying your break? You've wasted your time dealing with me and Q. I am so sorry about that you could have had at least a few days on your own boat doing what you wanted —”

“Elise,” he interrupted, “believe me, I have been enjoying my break. I'm angry I have to return because I was going to take you out on my new boat and show it off. Now all the plans I was making will have to be put on hold.” He frowned, “of course, if you go back they'll never happen.” 

Elise stared at him, “I still have some time here, I still have some decisions to make. But even if I do go home to Chicago, I realized that I would have to come back here because this is the most peace and quiet I have had in a long, long time.” 

He put his hand over hers and squeezed. “I get it”

The winds did pick up a bit and the sails grew fuller. Rory's phone chirped again.  He wiped his hand over his face, “My flight is at 8 tonight out of Glasgow. That at least will give us time to get back to Troon and I can repack my bag.” He glanced over and met at Elise's eyes “It would also leave time to have an early dinner.” He trailed off. 

She tilted his head at him, “If you would like, I would be happy to”

They settled into a comfortable silence he took over the tiller as she looked over her boat notes and a manual that she found for the two-way radio **.**

They were about 15 minutes away from Troon when Elise went down below again to pack up her bag.  She came up again and she noticed yet another poignant song was playing from her Bluetooth speakers. This time it was “Southern Cross” by Crosby, Stills and Nash. She sat back down next to Rory as he silently guided the boat. She took a deep breath and looked at him. He smiled at her.  “Good night, gorgeous.” she said, looking him straight in the eye. 

He looked puzzled for a moment as he studied her face. Then it dawned on him, “Ahhh clever girl, Book Group.” He patted her hand.  Just then, the wind picked up and shifted. He turned the tiller as she got up and adjusted the sails. The moment was lost and her heart dropped.  Soon the boat was in her slip again and Elise was tying everything down with her knots.  Rory stepped out the boat and stood next to her. “Are you going back to the hotel?” He asked. She nodded. “How about we meet at Scott's at 5 for dinner?” She nodded again and smiled. He took her hands and squeeze them gently between his. “Great I'll see you then.” She walked to the end of the dock and waved. He waved back and she felt like her heart was going to break.  _ This was it dinner and then he’d be gone  _ she argued with herself the whole way back to the hotel. She was supposed to get a few measly hours and yet she got two days, there was nothing to be upset about. She was being selfish and she was being quite stupid if she were to be honest with herself. He was so out of her league it was laughable, she should be thanking her lucky stars that he was so kind and attentive. She was even going to have dinner with him later! She was going to consider it a date even though it wasn't. She got back to her room and took a long shower. She dug through her luggage and found one of her cutest outfits and paired it with her heeled ankle boots. He has only seen her with her hair up or in ponytails, so tonight she let it stay down in soft waves that went past her shoulders. She paid a little more attention to her makeup than usual and then stepped back to inspect herself in the full-length mirror. 

She smiled. She was looking pretty good, Sunkissed and a little trimmer. She had to admit that this endeavor had been good to her so far. She glanced at her clock, it was time to head back to meet Rory at the restaurant. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Southern Cross" Crosby, Stills and Nash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw9gLjEGJrw


	11. Goodnight, gorgeous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One last dinner. Short chapter, but I wanted it to stand alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See previous notes.

She saw him immediately, waiting by the hostess station. He was wearing dark jeans and a button-down shirt, there was even a tie casually knotted loosely around his neck. He looked good and she marveled that he dressed up a bit for her.  She smoothed down her shirt, smiled and walked up to him.  He smiled wide when she approached.  “There she is! Emma and Iain, this is Elise.  She's the one I told you about.” He offered an elbow then and she slid her hand in as she stepped next to him. It felt like it was natural.  After the brief introduction, they were shown to their table by the window.  It offered breathtaking views of the harbor. 

Dinner was pleasant. They discussed their day, things that needed updating on the boat, things she had to practice. At one point he asked to see her playlist. She pulled it up and handed her phone over. It wasn't until he snickered and said “Yellow Bird? Really, Elise?” She realized that she gave him a list of ALL her downloads. Fuuuuuuuck. 

“When Kristofer posted that video, I laughed and it brightened my day so much. So I downloaded the original. I make no apologies.” 

He laughed, “You are so cute, I swear.”  He kept scrolling.

“Adorkable is the word you're thinking of.” She retorted., he laughed at that.

He finally handed the phone back, “That is quite the collection.’

“That's only songs I downloaded, my cloud library is massive. I love music.”  He nodded to her in agreement.

They continued talking right through the meal.  It was not until they were eating dessert that Elise realized their time was coming to an end. “Dinner was wonderful, thank you so much. For everything.” 

“I still want to take you dancing.” He patted her hand.

“You'll know where to find me.” She grinned and put her other hand on his.

“Bugger it all, Elise.” He sighed, “I'm sorry I am leaving so soon. I do hope to see you again.”

“We will.” She tried hard not to let the sadness creep into her voice.  Now is the time be upbeat. She can cry later. 

Their waiter came to the table, “Rory, the car for the airport is here for you.” Rory paid for their meal and they got up.  His bags were being held for him by the hostess station and he grabbed them and carried them outside.  A taxi was waiting at the curb and the driver jumped out and took the bags, putting them in the boot.

Elise walked with Rory to the car door. “I’ll send you a message when I can. Ollie will be helping you with the equipment updates. I told everyone to help you with sailing and anything you need.” He told her.

Elise was surprised, “Wow, you are so good to me!” She shook her head and laughed quietly “Thank you.”

They heard the boot lid drop...it was time to go.

She looked up at him, about to say goodbye when he grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her to him.  His lips met hers and he pulled her top lip in slightly. Her knees buckled a bit and his other arm steadied her. He pulled back and put his forehead on hers. “Goodnight, gorgeous…”

She put her hand on his chest and looked at him through her eyelashes, “That was better than I imagined.” 

He smiled at her one last time and got into the cab. She watched as it drove off and turned the corner.  That is when she cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annie Lennox “Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otE79iXWcLE 
> 
> The Brothers Four “Yellow Bird” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVal27905w8 (yes, I have this downloaded and it makes me smile every time. I add the ba dum das and woof myself)


	12. Keeping Busy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elise deals with separation and makes things a bit more permanent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See previous notes

It was still somewhat light out as she made her way back to the hotel. Her emotions were playing tug-of-war within her chest. One side was giddy and doing cartwheels - he kissed her! He actually grabbed her and kissed her! She could still feel his beard on her face and her mind spun. The other side was curled in the fetal position - would she ever see him again? She had no idea when he was coming back, she had no idea how long she could stay. She hugged herself and spun around briefly, letting the happy side win for a few moments. Then the lump formed in her throat as the sad side pulled back.  This back-and-forth continued until she walked into the lobby. She smiled and waved to a few of her new acquaintances as she walked through to her room. She convinced herself then it would be best to let happiness win. She opened the door to her room, shut it behind her and then launched into her bed, face first into the pillow. There she screamed with joy. She felt like a teenager after her first kiss during spin-the-bottle with her crush. She put her fingers to her lips and sighed; damn, just a little kiss and it shot her into the stratosphere.  _ What the hell is going to happen if this, by some miracle, progresses? I'll probably have a heart attack or just a literally explode.  _ She let the feeling wash over her, her arms and legs went limp, her fingers and toes tingled as if they were connected by an electrical circuit. She allowed the bliss to linger a bit before she took a deep breath and got out of bed. She needed to wash her face and change into her paja — oooooh she still had his T-shirt. Did she dare? Maybe she could sleep in it one more night and then wash it with the rest of her laundry to give back to him? Just one night, she'll  _ just  _ wear it to bed one more night. 

As she was headed to the bathroom her phone vibrated. She picked it up and noticed the message. It was from Rory. She took a deep breath and tapped the notification to read it. “I'm on the plane and miss you already. I had fun, hope to see you again soon xo” she put her hand over her mouth and started crying. Were these tears of joy? Was she overtired? Was she overwhelmed at the fact the happy side of herself just bitch slapped the sad side out of existence? Yes, yes and yes. 

“I had fun too and the feelings are mutual xo” she sent back.

She slipped his shirt over her head and crawled into bed, smiling.  She owned the best boat in the world, and she was gonna keep it. 

 

The next morning after breakfast she headed to the marina.  She stopped in the office and she and some of the staff talked about going over her equipment and testing everything over the next few days. She asked if they had a contractor for installing WiFi so she can work from the boat. David smiled at her, “So, you're not re-selling?”

“Not on your life, David.”

She called the internet contractor they recommended and told him what she needed, he said it should be a simple install. They made an appointment for that afternoon to get an estimate. 

She had her laptop with her, so she sat at the marina using their WiFi. They had tables outside, so she decided to do her work there. She was still technically on vacation, so she only quickly scanned her work email for emergencies. Finding none, she started to do her local research. She wanted a bike to go to places that were just out of walking distance. She also wanted to look into refinishing the wood pieces on the boat, especially the grating and seats in the cockpit. She pulled out her notebook and started to make a list of things she wanted to do:  WiFi, bike, cockpit, deep clean of the living quarters, updating the decor in the living quarters and painting the deck. There was a place at the marina called Kyle’s that had all the supplies that she would need for many of her projects _. That is certainly going to keep me around for a while! _ She smiled to herself. 

She contacted Esther and Anna, her friends in Aberdeen and Inverness, respectively.  They chatted briefly and made plans to visit them within next few days. She looked up train schedules and planned her travel itinerary. She then pulled up her genealogy folder and found her contact list for Dundee. She spoke with a few Librarians and Archivists and arranged an appointment to look through records.  When she finished she realized it was lunchtime. She packed up her items and headed to Scott’s for a bite to eat. 

That afternoon Elise was just as productive. She got Wifi service as well as another cell phone to use while she was in the United Kingdom. Her GPS, chart plotter, antenna and Cobra were inspected by a trio of men; much of their conversation included oohs, ahhs and the occasional “He said 100%!”. She went to Kyle's and looked at wood refinishing supplies. She ordered a companionway screen with cover and bought some more cleaning supplies too.

That night for dinner she finished the chili, eating on the boat. Afterwards, she cleaned up, made sure everything was secure and headed back to the hotel. She had one more day before leaving for Aberdeen and her other visits. 

As she was walking to the hotel, her phone chirped.  She looked down and her heart leapt. It was from Rory, asking about her day and letting her know he was getting reports on the equipment. She stopped and sat on a bench, quickly tapping out a reply. She also told him that she got a new phone with a local exchange.

“So you're staying?!” Came the immediate reply. “At least for a month ;) “ she answered.

“I hope you pencil me in for a dancing date!” A date! He used the term! Were the dinners they had dates too?  Fuck it, they counted.

“Anything with you will be written in pen.” She held her breath after that.

“I'm holding you to that. I'll be talking to you soon xo”

“Can't wait xo” she slipped the phone back in her pocket. Was he saying the word date like he was meeting a friend or were they dating? Were they? She got up and then stopped abruptly - dinner on the island, then dinner here and then dancing next… that’ll be three dates. She felt lightheaded for a moment,  _ Elise, your imagination is running too wild. You are not dating Rory McCann for crying out loud. _ If anything they were sailing buddies that so happened to throw x’s and o’s on their texts.  _ Right? _ She all but ran back to the hotel so she can scream into her pillow again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure. The giddy moments after a kiss.
> 
> Susan Egan "I Won't Say (I'm in Love) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl0DMTlwLw4  
> The Crystals “And Then He Kissed Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE_jOD2Fxvs


	13. Travelin' Gal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elise hits the rails and the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See previous notes and I've noticed that some of my previous chapters were really short, so I combined two to make a long one.  
> It seems that notifications were not hitting mailboxes, so check the chapters to make sure you didn't miss any.

_ East _

The next day when Elise woke up, she packed a bag for her trip East. Her train didn't leave until late-afternoon so she was able to do a few more things in the morning. There was a bicycle shop relatively close, so she was able to get a ride there to take a look at what they had. She didn't need anything fancy, just a small touring bike to get around town. Everyone in the shop was friendly and she found a really cute purple one, with two baskets saddled over the back tire and a large comfortable seat. It was exactly what she needed, she purchased it straight away and decided to ride it back to the hotel. She had to check out of her room and re-book for next week when she returned. She couldn't stay there forever, even though it was reasonable and she had all the amenities. She certainly wasn't ready to live on the boat full-time either. As she was riding down Ayers Street she saw a sign for a studio flat.  _ Wait, that would be perfect. _ It would be about the same size as her hotel room and still very close to Q. She stopped by the sign and pulled out her phone. She called the number and told the man who answered that she would be interested in seeing the flat, she was curious to know what the monthly rate was. He told her his office was right next door and he could show her in 5 minutes if she wanted, so she agreed. 

 

The flat was small, but it was clean and furnished. In Elise's eyes, it was perfect for what she needed right now. The rent was cheaper than her association fee back home. The manager said that he could do a lease for a month with an option to extend when the time was up. Elise agreed. She signed the paperwork and then arranged to have the rent and security deposit wired to him. It was a great space to call her own while she sorted out what to do with her life. She rode back to The Anchorage with her flat keys in her purse and a huge smile on her face. She checked out and told everyone that she'll be back soon as they were holding her belongings for her while she was gone. She was going to miss them but knew she'd be back for drinks in the lounge bar in no time. 

Elise spent the 4-hour train ride to Aberdeen making to-do lists and sending an email to her Realtor friend back home. She decided to rent out her condo. They had quite a few things to figure out logistically, but it could be managed. She made a list of personal things she wanted to be shipped to Troon and another list of items that could go into storage. She was relieved that there was not too much in her condo since she did a clutter purge last year. She mainly wanted clothing and some books sent over...the other stuff could wait. She looked out the window,  _ am I ever going to go back to Chicago? _ She had a month to figure it out. 

Her phone chirped and she smiled, very few people had her new number so she guessed quickly who would message her. 

“On your way east?”

“Yarp” she laughed as she sent that

“Very funny, you ;) “ he replied

“ ;) “ 

“Looks like you'll have some new equipment when you get back, thanks for letting the marina have access while you are away.”

“No problem, I like them and if you trust them - so do I.”

“I do. Safe travels, send a quick note when you arrive safely? xo”

She felt a flutter in her chest. “You bet xo”. She slipped her phone back in her bag and looked back out the window. She could not wait to see him again. 

 

It was great to see Esther, Aberdeen was a beautiful town. She was taken to the usual sightseeing places, especially the local museums. At night they were at the pub, having beers and laughing into the wee hours. Esther was a kindergarten teacher and she asked Elise before she left Chicago if she would like to visit the school to talk to the kids about life in America and maybe read them a story. Elise jumped at the chance and had the perfect story for them that she brought with her. She was at the school, waiting for the children to finish their snack, when her phone chirped.

“Guess where I am?” he asked. Soon there was another chirp with an attachment. When she opened it, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. There he was, with raised eyebrows and a mischievous grin on his face while biting the side of his bottom lip, behind him she could see the mast of Q. 

“Very cute, goofball. I'm about to read a book to a classroom of Kindergarteners.”

“What? Your kidding, right?”

She turned to the kids and said, “Hey kids, my friend doesn't think I'm here with you. Can I take a group selfie?” The kids laughed and gathered behind her. She held up the book, stuck her tongue out playfully and took a shot. She sent it with a “See?” soon after.

“I will never doubt you again, Elise” came the quick reply. Another soon followed, “I have half a mind to make that picture my lock screen.”

She gasped, “Don't you dare!” Her reply flew from her fingertips.

“Fiiine. I am just in time to overlook the installation of some new instrumentation. Everything is going to be updated and a 100% when you return.”

“That is fantastic, thank you so much. I hope to see you soon. Got to go, it's story time!”

“Knock them dead and hopefully you won't confuse them with that crazy American accent xo”

“Funny xo”

Later after school while preparing for dinner, Esther looked at her pointedly. “Alright, who's the boyfriend?” 

Elise swallowed and looked down, “Boyfriend? Whatever are you talking about?”

“You can't fool me, you light up every time your phone dings. That selfie move today? No one does that to a friend, sorry. You're busted.”

Elise sighed and turned to Esther. “If you really want to know the truth, I don't know if there's even a status to be had. But what I'm going to tell you cannot leave this kitchen.”

Esther looked intrigued. “Oooook.”

Elise pulled out her phone and opened her messages, she pulled up the picture that he sent her and quickly flashed it to Esther. 

“Oh my God Elise! Is that who I think it is?” Esther stared at her. Though Esther never watched Game of Thrones a day in her life, she instantly recognized Rory. “What is going on?!”

Elise told her about the flirting, and the sailing and a little bit about the sleepover and not much else. She was hoping Esther would have an outsider’s insight, and she did. “Okay. This is how I see it, I don't think you're exactly in a relationship per say. But there's something there that can easily be tipped into that basket.” 

 

“That's how I feel too. It's like we're on the cusp of something. I am trying not to get carried away by my emotions right now. I'm happy when I hear from him, but I'm not fawning or texting him 24/7. I'm just seeing where this goes and I think that's the best course of action right now.” 

Esther agreed and gave her a hug, “Holy shit Elise, that's all I can say!” They laughed. 

 

The next day, she was on the train again and heading to Inverness. The scenery was breathtaking. Even if everything went pear-shaped with the boat, Scotland was going to be a very hard country to leave when this was all over. She spent two days with Anna and her family. The first day was spent playing with Anna's daughter in the garden and hiking with the family at Ness Islands. The next was a girl’s spa day. It was a package deal with a choice of treatments. She chose a massage, pedicure and blushing madly, the bikini wax.  _ Damn that Esther and her basket remark. _ If anything was going to tip, she wanted to be ready. They had a great time, laughed a lot and might have had a wee bit too much champagne. She got a quick message from Rory later that afternoon when she was readying to leave, letting her know that he was heading out again for filming and that he was hoping they would be able to connect soon. She got a double XO after that message. She smiled, if she didn't know any better, she would have sworn he missed her. She certainly missed him. It was time to leave Inverness and Elise was back on the train, headed to Dundee. It was only a two-hour trip, so she left in the morning to have the day at the city archives looking through population, birth and death records. She stayed overnight in a small inn, and resumed her research until the early afternoon then she boarded the train one last time to go home to Troon.  _ Home _ . 

She got to Troon close to dinner time, so she stashed her bags in her new flat and rode to Scott's. After a quick bite she wanted to see what new equipment Q had. She parked her bike on the dock and went down to her living quarters. She gasped, a new GPS, chart-plotter  _ and _ VHF radio were installed. As well as a Bluetooth enabled radio and speaker. “Wow,” she breathed. She noticed a flash of color on the settee. She turned and her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a squeal. It was a pillow, the pattern was the Erskine tartan - she would recognize it anywhere. She went over and picked it up, hugging it to her. She noticed a slip of paper and picked it up. Her hands were shaking as she opened it. “Welcome home xoxo Rory.” 

Her heart just tipped into the basket. 

 

_ Belfast _

Elise was busy! She was getting her flat put together and awaiting her shipment from Chicago. When she wasn't doing that, she was studying her new equipment and doing practice runs involving tacking and jibing; as well as pushing off and retying Q to the dock. She also set about cleaning, waxing and polishing every inch of the living quarters. During her free time, she rode her bike around town, getting to know the neighborhood. She knew she made the right decision to extend her stay. Every day she would get a brief text from Rory. It was usually along the lines of “thinking about you!’ and ”I can't wait to see you!” He indicated that shooting this go around was pretty intense with long days and many times into the night. 

One morning her phone chirped early. Elise opened the message and gasped. The directors were planning on wrapping early the next day to give the cast on location the night off. “Do you want to come to Belfast tomorrow? It's an easy flight or ferry ride.” 

“I'll be there! I'll check prices and let you know in a few hours.” she could not type fast enough.

“Can't wait! xoxo.”

Elise pulled out her laptop and looked up ferries and flights to Belfast. The flights were very inexpensive and shaved 2 hours off the travel time. She booked a flight for the early afternoon. She found a hotel in Belfast somewhat close to Titanic that she had a traveler card with, so she got a discount on a king room for herself. She quickly sent a text to Rory with her flight info. He responded moments later letting her know he was thrilled and will call her the moment he was off the lot tomorrow. 

The rest the day was a whirlwind. She did laundry and packed an overnight pack first. It took longer than she thought, how should she dress..sexy? Casual? Pajamas? Nightgown? _ Would they even spend the night together? _ Underwear? She was over thinking and really assuming at that point. She decided on semi-sexy outfit, pajamas and lacey underwear. Even if no other eyes saw it, she’d *feel* sexy in them.  _ Such a little vixen!  _

The next morning she went to the marina and secured Q and stopped at the office to let them know she'll be gone for a few days. When she told them she was flying out of Glasgow, someone offered her a ride. She jumped at the chance.  _ Everyone here was so great! _

As she headed back to her flat, she noticed a few hair salons on her street. She parked and locked up her bike in front of her building and walked over to one that caught her eye. Maybe a trim and style for today? An hour later her hair was one inch shorter, falling just below her shoulders in soft curls. Elise felt great, there was an excitiedness that was simmering through her whole body.  _ I think I'm starting to realize what one of the causes of spontaneous combustion is _ _!_ She was just so happy that she was going to be able to see him, it seemed like forever.  She'd never been to Ireland either and that added to her excitement. She discovered during her genealogy research that before coming to America, her ancestors were in Northern Ireland for a time, so there was always the chance of returning to do more research. She checked her packed bag again to make sure she had everything, and then went downstairs to wait for her ride to the airport. 

 

When she arrived at the airport, Elise felt a bit overwhelmed. She got her boarding pass, went to the gate to find a seat, and then put her head in her hands. There was a reason she was offered a ride to the airport. It seemed the folks at the Yacht Haven noticed how Rory and Elise acted around each other. Noticed the way that they talked about each other when they were apart. Noticed the way they  _ acted  _ when they were apart. Apparently, she had a team rooting for them. She laughed to herself, she had her own shippers and they worked at a marina - now that's irony. Tonight will be a totally non-boat related date, he had a free night and asked  _ her _ to come. Elise felt that this was a going to be a defining night. She just had to make sure not to lose her mind. She sent a quick text letting him know she at the airport. She was not expecting to hear from him, she was sure his phone was buzzing away in his trailer. 

After a quick flight and taxi ride, Elise was at her hotel. She put her clothes, including Rory's laundered t-shirt, in a drawer and arranged her toiletries in the bathroom. She was about to pull out the area information booklet when her phone chirped. 

"Settling in? Hoping for an early dinner. I'll let you know where and when soon. We are in danger of running long again because someone keeps blowing their lines.”

Elise laughed,  _ it's probably him _ ...

Her phone chirped again “And no, it's not me! xoxo”

“Can’t wait to hear from you, I'll be ready. xoxo”

 

Elise put her outfit on soon after and did her makeup. It was getting to be later in the afternoon so she decided to stick around her room to read and maybe do a little writing while she waited. Since she was doing so much research on the Scottish branch of her family, she was writing a comprehensive research paper to share with her relatives. After two chapters of the romance novel she picked up, she put it down realizing that it was a big mistake to read it. She was going to get herself worked up before she even set foot out of this hotel room. She quickly reached for her notebook and started going over family lineages as a pseudo cold shower.

When her phone chirped again she nearly jumped out of her skin. She grabbed it and quickly opened her message. He wanted to meet her in an hour at a nearby pub for an early dinner. She smiled and then the last line of his message had her heart racing,  ”By the way, there is a DJ. We will be dancing XOXO.”

She drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she tapped out her reply  “Can't wait! see you soon XOXO”

She went to the mirror and regarded her outfit, it was a long black and white blouse with darted sides that flared slightly at the hip. She paired it with lightweight leggings and low heel Mary Janes. She checked her makeup and fluffed her hair for the millionth time. This was it. She grabbed her purse and headed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Esther and Anna for one reason, The Damned. So this chapter’s music is from them.  
> The Damned “Stranger on the Town” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF2-P7JenEE  
> The Damned “Is It a Dream” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3nJJi1eZFQ


	14. Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a dancing date! Will Elise survive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See previous notes and there has been a rating change!

The pub was not far from the hotel at all, so Elise quickly walked over. When she walked in it was nearly empty, it was much too early for the usual pub crowd. She spotted Rory immediately, leaning against the bar talking to the bartender. Her heart flew to her throat and her head swam as she looked at him. He was decked out in black slacks, a Black Watch button-up shirt and _oh are those Docs he was wearing?_ She was getting turned on and he hadn't even turned fully around yet. At that moment, he glanced behind himself, meeting her eyes. He lit up and quickly pushed himself away from the bar toward her. She knew she was grinning like an idiot, she couldn't help it. As he got closer she felt her knees begin to weaken. She locked them just in time for him to come up to her, put his arm around her back and sweep down to plant a soft but quick kiss on her lips. She put her hands on his arms to steady herself. “Why, hello.”

“Hello to you too.” He was beaming, his eyes were crinkled into slits as he gazed at her, “You look stunning.”

“As do you, I could eat you up.” As his eyebrow raised at her, she bit her lip and smiled. He took her hand and led her to the bar.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Guinness.” She replied.

“Ah, you worm your way deeper into my heart!” He smiled and ordered.

Her draft came quickly along with another for him. As she was drinking, she felt his hand find hers again. She could hold his paw all day and be the most content woman alive. She put the glass down and started to lick the foam off her top lip. Suddenly there was his thumb sweeping over it and then he drew the foam into his mouth. She just barely stifled a groan, “Just you wait, McCann. I'll get you back.”

“I'm counting on it.” He sent her a look that shot right to her core. _Oh, fuck dinner_ , she just wanted to eat him alive.

They decided to eat right at the bar since it wasn't crowded. They looked at their menus and Elise was secretly thrilled that he put his glasses on without trying to hide.

While they ate, Elise told Rory about her travels and what she's been up to with the boat. “That reminds me,” she said, looking at him “I got _quite_ the upgrade on my electronic equipment. It seems I owe the former owner.”

Rory put his finger under her chin and turned her towards him, “That you do.”

She boldly put her hands above his knees to brace herself and leaned forward to capture his lips in hers. It was quick, but as she pulled away she ever so lightly licked the corner of his mouth. “Well, let that be a start,” she said.

He leaned in until his mouth was by her ear, “Aye. That was lovely.”

After dinner, Elise slipped to the bathroom to freshen up a bit. She was a bundle of excited nerves and they haven't even danced as he promised. _Is this how it was always going to feel?_ A little voice in her head answered _yes_ because quite frankly no relationship of hers felt like this. No matter what the level. When she walked through the bar, she noticed that there were more people there. It wasn't exactly crowded, but it wasn't empty anymore either. When she sat down Rory asked if she wanted another Guinness and she nodded her head.

“Did you see the dance floor?” he asked, motioning to the side.

She turned and looked, it wasn't big and it wasn't smack dab in the middle of the pub either. So if she made a fool out of herself at least not everyone would see. Thankfully there was a football match that folks seemed to be more interested in, so she had that going for her too.

“I'll be right back, I'm going to the loo and then I'm going to talk to that DJ friend of mine,” he gave her a big grin and nudged her gently on the shoulder. She watched him walk away.

That's when she saw them. Two women making a beeline towards Rory's empty seat. They could be no more than 30 years old and they were dressed to the nines, almost too much for the pub. They stopped directly in front of Elise.

“Oi! Why you hogging the big man? Here you are monopolizing all his time! How can the other fans get a go?” The women made him sound like a Ferris wheel. Elise was shocked. Her fellow Rory fans online were nothing like this and no way were they _this_ rude. She felt a little bubble of anger start to rise in her chest. “Excuse me?” she asked incredulously, _Monopolize_ his time? I'm here _with_ him, who the fuck are you?”

They stepped even closer and got into Elise's face, “Here with you? You really expect us to believe that he's here with a dumpy old woman such as yourself? You have to be kidding us!” They both laughed. Now Elise was pissed. She got off her stool and stood in front of the girls. She was just about to tell them where to get off when she saw their eyes widen. Immediately after, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Is there a problem ladies?”

The one closest to her stammered, “We just wanted to come by and get a picture and an autograph,” She sneered at Elise, “and maybe perhaps to save you from this one here.”  She felt a rumble behind her, she quickly put her hand over his and squeezed it. She shook her head slightly hoping he would notice. Thankfully, he did.

“I'm not allowed to do pictures right now, but I'll give you each this,” he grabbed two napkins off the bar with a pen and quickly scrolled his name on them, shoving them at the girls. “As for rescuing, why would I need to be rescued from my own girlfriend? I was coming here to rescue her from the likes of you.”

The smug smiles on the women's faces faded. They quickly muttered apologies to Elise, grabbed their napkins and went to the other end of the bar where they buried their faces behind menus.

Elise could tell that Rory was not happy. She put her hands on over his and turned to face him. “I should have expected something like that. I did not react properly.” she said, “But I am glad that you didn't tell them off because you never know what they could say online.”

He sighed, “I know this is something that we have to discuss later so you have a game plan in case this ever happens again. I'm sorry.”

She shook her head and laughed softly, “No I'm sorry. Because if you wouldn't have shown up when you did, we might have had a bigger mess to clean up than you being cross.”

He looked at her and put his hands on her face, “Do you mean you were going to actually take them on?”

“I don't know how far I would have gotten, but I was ready to fight. They were quite insulting.”

“I heard some of what they said and for the record absolutely none of it is true.” He smiled and slid his hands down to her waist. He sat on his barstool and pulled her to him until she was standing between his knees. “How about we finish our Guinness and I take you out on that dance floor? I did have a song in mind, but after witnessing what happened - I think I'm going to have the DJ play another song first.” He motioned to a passing server, jotted a quick note on a receipt and asked her to bring it up to the DJ. She walked away quickly. Moments later, they looked up and saw the DJ giving him a wave.

That's when Elise got nervous. “Rory you may think I know how to dance, but believe me - I do not.”

“Elise, can you do a basic box step, like a rumba?”

“I think so,” she replied.

“Good. Because that's all I know and all you have to do is follow my lead.”

Ellie's nodded and swallowed the lump of anticipation that was fluttering in her upper chest. All of a sudden, it dawned on her that he told those women that she was his girlfriend. The realization almost took her breath away. _I'm sure he just said that to make them back off faster_ she thought to herself. But another fine wire of desire within her was uncoiling, sending sparks all the way to her toes and fingertips. Now she _did_ want to dance with him. She wanted to get as close as she could, wrap her arms around him and have him envelop her until she couldn't see straight.

His voice interrupted her thoughts, “Nearly finished?” he asked. She nodded her mouth suddenly dry. He stood up, took her hand and she followed him to the small dance floor where she was willing her knees to stop knocking. Her fear of dancing in front of everybody was replaced by a heat what that was permeating her whole being. She saw Rory nod to the DJ and she gulped.

They stood for a moment and Elise put her hands on Rory's biceps as his rested on her hips. That's when the song started and she looked up and smiled. “Perfect song,” she chuckled.

As Bonnie Raitt started singing “Something To Talk About”, Elise and Rory danced. Were they going to win awards? No, but they were having fun. She glanced over at the bar and sure enough, the two girls that gave her a hard time were staring open-mouthed. She stepped in a little bit closer so her hips were touching the tops of his legs and his arms slid from her hips to her lower back. Her much, much lower back she realized. When she glanced back at the bar the girls were gone. _Serves you right maybe next time you'll be nicer._ “Our friends are leaving” she commented.

“They were no friends of mine,” Rory said as he turned her slowly.

“Thank you for saying what you said to them, it's certainly made them back off a little quicker”

Rory looked puzzled “What did I say that wasn't true?”

“You told them I was your girlfriend” she looked up at him.

He stopped dancing and stared at her, “Elise, I don't know what you call the last few weeks, but in my mind you are my girlfriend,” He rubbed his hands over his beard, and shook his head a little bit “I guess I should have asked, maybe you don't even want to be my -”

His sentence was interrupted when Elise quickly snaked her hand around his neck and pulled his head down. This time. she wasn't shy. This time, she kissed him harder, tilting her head just enough to pull his lower lip in her mouth. She pulled away slightly. She hugged him then and he held her close as the song started to finish. She could feel his mouth in her hair and then suddenly she felt him smile. ”I think you're going to like this next song. It's in your playlist.”

She pulled back and stared at him, “In my playlist? Is that why you were looking at my phone the other day? Rory, am I going to be embarrassed?” And then she heard it Tom Waits “Hope I Don’t Fall In Love With You”. She could have sworn she felt her bones starting to melt as he pulled her closer. Her mind was racing a mile-a-minute, a sliver of her was embarrassed because he knew why she put that song on her playlist. Another part of her was damn near swooning and yet another part of her wanted to take him into a back room to just have her way with him. _Fuck, does he know what he does to me?_ She put her hands on his chest and gathered some of the material in her hands. She gave a little tug and he looked down. The look on her face was all the invitation he needed and his lips crashed into hers. After a few moments, Elise parted her lips and he eagerly deepened the kiss. She was all but sucking on his tongue by then and she didn't care. He was making little grunty moaning noises and it was driving her insane. They weren't exactly dancing at that point but she did notice they were moving backward. Soon her back hit the wall that was to the side of the dance floor near a little alcove.  He pressed into her, his hands now on her ribcage with his thumbs brushing just under her breasts. She couldn't feel her legs anymore, but one thing was for certain, the top half of her leggings were pretty much soaked. She was so turned on, she couldn't even think straight. If someone would have asked her her name, she probably would have spouted gibberish. He pressed into her more and she started to feel her feet leaving the ground as she was being slid up the wall. That's when she felt it, he was just as turned on as she was. She groaned into his mouth as heat spread from her chest to her belly twisting down her legs and back up again, doing a frenzied tap dance in her brain. She could peak right here - right now, all she had to do was move her hips just a fraction of an inch…

She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed back just a little bit and broke the kiss

“Rory,” she panted “we have to get out of here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie Raitt “Something To Talk About”  
> https://youtu.be/mJ58TVYNFro
> 
> Tom Waits “Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You” https://youtu.be/EtLVXBqfqBY


	15. Hotel Combustion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know what you are saying, "Sheesh, finally!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See previous notes

Rory looked at Elise and nodded quickly.  _ My eyes are probably so dilated, I look like I'm on acid. _ She stifled a giggle and swallowed. “My hotel is across the street,” she said. He nodded again, grabbed her hand and all but pulled her off the dance floor. The bar tab was paid in record time and Elise snatched her purse on the way out the door. Rory was walking fast and she was nearly running to keep up. She laughed breathlessly, “I'm not going to turn into a pumpkin! We can  _ walk.”   _ He slowed just enough to a walk. They got to the hotel in moments and made a beeline to the elevator.  

“Floor?” Rory asked, his voice was husky and Elise felt another jolt through her groin. 

“Top floor,” she said apologetically.

“Of course,” he groaned. The doors closed and he all but slammed her against the wall in a heated kiss, his hands were on her ass and she was grinding into him. 

The door chime dinged and they flew apart. The doors opened, but there was no one there.  Rory looked puzzled until Elise laughed. He had pushed her against the controls and pressed every button. Between every floor, Elise kissed a different part of his face. “Elisssse,” he hissed. 

“Did I ever tell you I love your beard?” Elise purred as she nuzzled his neck. 

Finally, they got to her floor and all but ran to her room, jabbing the key card in the slot and pushing the door open. Elise didn't even get a chance to click on the main light before she was in Rory's arms and being propelled back toward the bed. He sat her on the mattress and took her shoes off. He cursed at his own laced up boots as Elise kneeled behind him, unbuttoning his shirt.  She felt like an animal, as she combed her fingers through his chest hair. Boots and socks went flying, and soon his shirt was sailing behind them. He turned to face her and within seconds her shirt was lifted off. They paused and stared at each other.

“I want you so bad it hurts,” Elise said.

“I told myself to take it slow, but when I saw you standing in the doorway of the pub. All of those thoughts flew out the bloody window,” he replied, kissing her again.

“I'm glad they did,” her hands rubbed over his shoulders.

He put his hands on her hips, thumbs slightly curled over her waistband. “May I?” 

Elise tamped down her self-consciousness. “You may, but I have to let you know, you really got me going on the dance floor.” 

“Not as much as me,” he whispered as her leggings were peeled from her body.  His hand smoothed up her legs and stopped just below her black lace bottoms. He moaned as he could feel what she meant a moment ago. 

She reached forward and undid the button at his waistband, the zipper came down soon after. Quickly, he was only in his boxers, his desire for her evident. She brought her fingers to him and brushed the back of her hand over the material separating her from his manhood. She swallowed and looked at him again. “Kiss me. Now.’ His mouth met hers again and they slid backwards toward the head of the bed. He started to trail kisses down the side of her neck to her collarbone. She gasped and arched back while running her fingers through his hair. She could not see straight and she could feel her knees widening to flank his outer thighs. His mouth reached the top of her breasts and within moments he was able to flip both of them out of their lacy cups. As soon as she felt his whiskers on her nipples, a jolt shot between her legs and yet another surge of wetness came forth.  _ Holy shit, I'm going to peak before we even get started. _

She edged her knees over his hips, toward his ribs and curled her toes around the waistband of his boxers. They started to wriggle down and she gasped, “Get. These. Off.”  He paused for a moment and shifted to the side and lifted a bit. Seconds later she heard them hit the floor.  She felt a press of cock-shaped lace against her,  _ damn underwear _ ! “Now we need to get those off.” She lifted her ass and the offending barrier was gone. The heat of him gliding against her was too much to bear. 

“Elise, ohhhh you are so fucking ready aren't you?”

“This whole day has been foreplay. I've nearly finished before we started. Don't make me beg.” By this point, her legs were quivering and her knees were back up, clamping his sides. All  _ she _ needed to do was tilt her hips and all  _ he _ needed to do was shift and ---

And they both did just that. Elise muffled a scream into his shoulder as she pulled her knees back more and put her heels on his back. Rory all but whimpered as he drove himself into her. He stilled for a moment, he lifted his head a bit and they locked eyes. She smiled and cupped his face, “Move or else I may go mad.”

The first thrust shot sparks behind her eyes, the second had her thighs clamp his sides, the third had her nearly hollering out a moan that had be quieted with her own fist in her mouth. She ground up into him, riding out the orgasm. Her mind was reeling as her hips bucked upward, she even felt sparks in the soles of her feet. Then as the last thrust slammed down, he held her hips groaning loud into her chest, sending vibrations throughout her body. _It happened, I did spontaneously combust._ _Holy shit._ Coming down from that felt like a roller coaster ride. She relaxed her legs and hugged him close. “Oh my God. Oh my God. My brain is scrambled.”

“I don't even think I could stand up. Am I crushing you?”  

“I'm ok, but if you're going to collapse, you may have to shift over a wee bit. He shifted and she felt his member leave her body. His absence made her shiver.

He flipped and lay on his back and pulled her to his side. “I don't know what to say. Was it the dancing?” He smirked at her.

“Oh, it was everything.” She leaned up and kissed him. 

She got up and headed to the bathroom to clean up. She was wobbly and light-headed, she stared in the mirror and smiled at her disheveled appearance.  _ You, you are a woman that was thoroughly fucked.  _ She pulled her bra off and wrapped a towel around herself and came back into the room. Rory had his boxers on and was staring at her. 

“You are amazing,” He breathed. 

“YOU are the amazing one,” she replied as she opened her drawer to get her pajamas. She saw his T-shirt and pulled it out. “I brought your t-shirt back.” 

“It's yours. In fact, wear it to bed now.” His voice was relaxed and slightly husky. She pulled it over her head and decided to leave her underwear off.  He got up to get ready for bed and headed to the bathroom with a small pack from his jacket. He emerged from the bathroom with half of his beard missing, “I can’t wait until I can shave in order to have an even beard again!” He sighed and picked up his clothes, hanging them over the chair. He laughed and shook his head at them. “The cat is going to be out of the bag tomorrow on set. A lot of folks saw me leaving today in this outfit. I have a 4 a.m call tomorrow and I'll be wearing the same clothes.”

She stared at him wide-eyed from the bed. “Are you ok with that?”

“Elise, half the crew suspects something and have been pestering me. They said they could tell. Some of my acting co-workers figured it out and I did confide in a few people about our time together...” He paused, “and my make-up gal...and my hair gal….and my sister.”

“Rory!” Elise was shocked, here she was being discreet and he'd spilled his guts on set. She laughed, “I told ONE person and I was cagey with her.” 

Now it was Rory's turn to be shocked. “Really?!”

“Really,” she deadpanned.

“You can tell your friends, you know.” he smiled.

“I can't wait.” She held the blanket for him and he climbed in next to her. They both set their phones for 3:15 a.m. to make sure he wasn't late for his call and settled into each other's arms for the night. She turned to him and stroked his smooth cheek, “This is nice, but I sure hope when you shave, it’s just to grow it all out evenly.”

“Really?” he asked surprised.

“Oooooh boy, I need to tell you about some of your fans.” She laughed, kissing him goodnight.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No music for this one, the only thing I heard while writing this was the blood rushing through my ears.
> 
> If you enjoy, please feel free to comment.


	16. Morning Glory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See previous notes.

She woke up sometime in the middle of the night. She leaned over and glanced at her phone, 2:30 a.m., she got up to use the bathroom and returned quickly to the bed. She paused for a minute to look at the sleeping form next to where she laid previously. She couldn't believe it - everything was wonderful,  _ he _ was wonderful, and she was certain that life would never be the same. She crawled back into bed, under the covers. She laid back on her left side and scooted back just enough to bump into him. Soon an arm was around her waist and she was pulled to his chest. She started to settle back down and relax when she felt his arm lift slightly and his hand was on her hip.  _ Was he sleeping and just getting comfortable? _ She held her breath slightly and waited. His hand trailed down her thigh to her knee and then back up again, only this time his hand was under the T-shirt. When his hand reached her bare ass, it stopped. He nuzzled into the back of her head and his lips were just behind her ear, “Oh I think I'm going to be waking up a little earlier this morning.” Soon, she could feel what was waking up first. His hand slid to her hip and tilted her slightly backward then drawing his hand down the front of her right thigh pushing it over his leg. She was completely open to him now and she groaned as his fingers trailed back up to the apex of her thighs. She ground back into him as he slid a finger inside of her.  The threads holding all of her limbs in place started coiling at the pit of her stomach. She reached behind her and freed him from his boxers. She started stroking him, running her thumb over the head, it was slick in an instant. He groaned and thrust forward. The threads coiled tighter and she squeezed her thighs together. Is that me whimpering? I can't believe I'm losing control again. He slipped his finger out of her and he put his hand over hers, guiding himself between her now wet thighs. He thrust gently and the slight friction was driving her mad. She arched back, tilted her ass up and reached down to guide him into her heat. It was a great angle, he was hitting pleasure triggers deep inside.  The coil tightened more and her muscles started to clench. At first he was thrusting slowly while caressing her nipples under the shirt. But when her walls rippled with a building desire, he quickened his pace. He bit her earlobe and panted; if he was trying to form words, she had no idea. His hand left her chest the found her clit. He rubbed it in time with his thrusts and the coil snapped. The threads that were wound so tight, released in a shower of pleasurable sparks. Her high pitched moan became a throaty growl as she pushed back into him, meeting his erratic pumps. He buried himself into her so hard, she was pushed on to her stomach as he cried out into her back. “Fuck, oh fuck,” he panted as he propped himself on his elbows. He started kissing her back and nuzzled her neck. “That was...wow.” 

She turned her head and let out a long contented sigh, “Woooow. You bring out the harlot in me, I swear.”

“I could spend all day in bed with you.” He turned her over and kissed her. She brought her arms around him, they laid naked and intertwined with each other for several moments.  Elise could just feel the waves sleep lapping at her when the 3:15 alarms started going off. They quickly shut them off and Rory was on his back, Elise had her head on his chest.

“You need to get moving, “she said, curling her fingers through the hair around his nipples.

“Aye,” he sighed, “I should shower and head out.”

Elise got up and pulled on the shirt. She didn't even remember it coming off. “Looks like I need to rewash this,” She laughed. She really wanted to cry though, she didn't want him to go. She wanted to lay in his arms all day.  She implored herself to suck it up. If she was to be his girlfriend, she had to know that this was going to be a regular occurrence. She straightened up and smiled.

“Keep it,” he said, sitting up “It looks better on you than me!” He got up and walked naked to the bathroom to take a shower. She found his boxers and put them with his clothes. She made sure all of his stuff was together and crawled back into bed.  She fully intended to stay awake to say goodbye, but drifted off soon after her head hit the pillow. She could have sworn that she remembered lips brushing her temple and a quiet “Goodbye, Elise” followed by an even quieter, “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jefferson Starship "Miracles" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nzzjwZGt6I   
> The "oh baby"s and "Then I start dancing inside you" are just some of the genius lyrics of this song.


	17. Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elise is back in Troon, will Rory follow soon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see previous notes

Elise opted to take the ferry back to Troon.  It was a peaceful trip, she napped and then contacted some friends privately.  They have barely been in touch since she left for Troon.

But now she had a green light to speak freely about their relationship.  She wasn't going to scream it from the rooftops, but a few online friends could know privately.  She trusted them, they comforted her when she lost the bid for Q the first time and cheered with her when she got the second chance. These ladies were  _ nothing _ like the bitches at the pub.  Rory was quite amused at what she told him about the Hounds Harem and their love for the unshaved him. He was all for banning the wax, “Bloody painful, I don't know how people can handle that shite.” She first sent a message to Issa and Adelie, soon the messages between the three of them were flying back and forth.  She told them a message was going to be sent to the bigger fan group to arrange a gathering. She loved the idea of all of the girls meeting, watching clips and hanging out. She planned on talking to David and the manager at Scott's about logistics of having visitors.  She knew not everyone could make it, she didn't expect more than 10. But this was Elise, she needed to be prepared.  

She did her best to do a group message with the girls as a whole, telling them things were great at Troon and that the boat was wonderful. She added "RoryCon" was in the works. The message notifications started blowing up her phone. “Did you meet Rory?” “How did it go” “Were your conditions met?” She told them that he was the greatest and she has been out with him several times. The onslaught of messages and heart eye emojis nearly overwhelmed her.  She begged for discretion and also told them that she could not really get into details.  She said that she would be in more constant touch and she'd let them know a date to meet very soon. She smiled and shut off her phone.  She felt like she was gossiping about herself. She hated to hold back, but she couldn't go “TMI” especially since she really had never personally met any of them.  She didn't know how to progress and decided he'd talk to Rory more about it. What she did know is that he had a great fandom, one that she was proud to be a part of. 

Back home in Troon, Elise found a routine.  She spent her nights at the flat, ate dinner and then headed to the boat.  There, she set up her laptop for work and logged in.  In between work projects she would work a little on a part of the boat.  She kept one set of black watch curtains, made a set of Erskine tartan ones for the other side and made rolled pillows with the extra fabric. She made sure she understood her new equipment, had the other appliances inspected and did necessary refits. The quarters were deep cleaned and the wood and metal shone when she finished. She found a vase that she mounted with museum gel and had fresh flowers on her counter.  If it was sunny, she would read on the dock on a reclining camp chair she found at Morrison's. Each day she would get a few texts from Rory. Filming was intense and he was hoping for another break soon so he could see her.  She yearned for him but knew she'd see him soon. Besides she was excited for him to see her progress in the short time they were apart. 

She was reading in the late afternoon sun, facing the water, a breeze was ruffling her sundress and music was filling her ears courtesy of her noise canceling headphones. She was distracted by the song currently playing.  _ “Closer” is not a good song to hear when you are missing your boyfriend _ ,  _ Elise.  _ She shifted in her seat a bit and was just about to skip the song when her phone chirped. It startled her half to death. She quickly opened the message. 

“How loud is your music? I've been calling you for a few minutes now, lol.”  _ Calling her _ ? Her ringer was on. She took her headphones off and started to get up.  

“Helllllllo!!!” Her heart leapt as she spun around. There he was, walking toward her. She could tell he was laughing at her. 

“Ohhhhh you!” she called with mock anger as her feet propelled her toward him.  She may have been nearly running when she launched into his open arms. Oh, he felt so good. She tracked her hand up to grab his smooth -  _ wait, smooth?  _ She looked him in the eye. “Does this mean…”

“We wrapped, I'm home!”

“Home, you're home.” She grabbed his face again and kissed him hard. She all but crawled up him while she ravaged his mouth, “I missed you so much!”

“I missed you!” 

She broke the kiss and pulled him to the boat,“I've been busy, step inside.”

“Nice door!” He motioned to her newly installed companionway screen. 

“It's nice and private.” She said, giving him a pointed look. He quickly went downstairs and sat on the settee. She soon followed, securing the door behind her. She turned her phone off and put it on the counter; she then took his phone and did the same. Soon after, she was kneeling astride his lap, kissing him again and pulling his shirt off. After a few moments, she stood and reached under her skirt, pulling off her underwear. She reached for his pants next, the button and zipper were undone swiftly. Soon he was free from his confines and she was stroking him while kissing his chest. 

His head was resting against the wall, eyes closed and trying not to moan too hard, “Oh that feels so good, I missed you so much.”

“I've done a lot of work on this boat, but it still needs one thing,” she climbed on his lap and sunk down on him, “a good rocking.” She tried not to gasp when she said it, he filled her completely and it was nearly overwhelming. She put her hands on his chest and started rolling her hips. Once she got a rhythm, she lifted slightly and began thrusting. Soon she felt hands spanning her hips, caressing and holding her for a moment before sliding down to her ass. She nearly lost her timing when he squeezed her tight and started to push his hips up. 

The heat that pooled in her belly started twisting through her body. She leaned forward and started kissing the expanse of his chest up to his neck as she desperately tried to get him closer, deeper. It felt so good, she felt like she was at the edge of a cliff; so she decided to jump. Her release was powerful, she braced her head on his shoulder and cried out. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and sucked in a breath while her mind short-circuited. Her hips were held still while he arched up into her and let out an animalistic noise that shook the boat.

He slumped back, gasping and she smoothed his face, smiling. “Welcome home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Closer” Nine Inch Nails (NSFW) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccY25Cb3im0   
> “Rock the Boat” Hues Corporation https://youtu.be/fO1Z8ikSEPU  
> “She Rides” Danzig https://youtu.be/OA8RG96QViA  
>  Tried to at least find "safe" videos. Feel free to seek out the originals.


	18. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Visitors come to Troon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see previous notes

Life was an adventure. Every morning Elise was tempted the pinch herself because she couldn't believe what her life had become. She now lived in Troon and even started the Visa application process.  She was working steadily- whether it be from her boat, Rory's boat, or the marina. She was sailing constantly either as a captain on Q or as first mate on his boat. Elise loved his boat; it was much roomier, the living quarters and cockpit were a beautifully finished hardwood. Day trips turned into overnights, and those turned into weekends away to Campbeltown Loch. They were even planning a trip to Ireland soon.  

A slip opened next to his, so Elise opted to move Q there. It was funny seeing his much bigger boat next to hers. Small as it was, she was proud of what she made of it. The living quarters were spotless, the deck and cockpit were repainted and refinished. The sails were crisp and clean with a little American flag displayed proudly at the bow. She even had a stencil made and painted “stands for quiet” under the boat name in script.

She was in Q working when he popped his head through the companionway, “Hey I thought I'd find you in here,” He smiled at her and his eyes darkened a bit as he asked gruffly, “how's your back?” 

She turned, “Nothing a little dockside yoga couldn't fix.” She turned back to her computer as she heard his soft groan. 

The night before, he decided to surprise her with dinner on his boat.  _ His _ idea of making dinner was to order takeaway and have it delivered. She didn't mind, it was different and fun. Afterwards, she went to retrieve something from her purse that she had tossed on his bed. When she stood at the foot of it and reached for her bag, the sight proved to be too much for him. She soon felt hands on her hips and a grinding behind her. “Oh, what I wouldn't give to take you right now,” he growled.

She pushed back, “What's stopping you?” Soon she heard a zipper and material hitting the floor while she wiggled out of her shorts. He kept her bent over the bed while he drilled her from behind. She was convinced their passionate screams drove all of the seagulls away from the harbor. 

She shook her head and came out of her reverie. “They are going to move our boats to the furthest slips if we continue being so loud,” she laughed.

“Bugger that, hardly anyone is here at night. I won't move until the restaurant complains.” They both laughed at that. Elise secretly thought that day would come soon, though. 

She cleared her throat. “The girls and I decided on a date. Two weeks from now,” she looked at him, nervous.  She told him all about the group of women she befriended online and the story about her losing the first bid for Q. “They were going to raise money for me to rebid!” She remembers telling him. When she told him about ‘RoryCon’, he laughed until he had tears in his eyes, “No one is going to travel out here for that.”

“Just watch, pal,” she had retorted.  It was more than a group of woman coming to “ooh  & ahh” over a boat and watch videos projected on a sail. It was a group vacation, a time to meet one another and hang out. Lodging arrangements were made, as well as reservations for a group dinner.  Everything was set and if Elise didn’t know better, he was looking forward to it.

 

Issa and Adelie came 4 days early to help.  Elise was so happy to finally meet them, even though it was like they'd known each other for years. Their bags were left in her flat and they started to walk to the marina to see the boat. As they were walking towards Q, Issa stopped dead in her tracks and let out a little squeak. Adelie froze next to her. “What the hel— ohhhhh...” Elise started laughing when she saw Rory standing on the dock, waving “Someone was anxious to meet you,” they didn't move. “Come on, guys, he doesn't bite. Unless you ask,” that eased the tension and they laughed. Elise stood behind them and waved him over.  Soon both Issa and Adelie were gathered in a great bear hug. That broke the ice, soon everyone was laughing and talking. They agreed to meet him for dinner and the girls climbed aboard Q as he headed to Scott’s to reserve a table. As soon as the companionway door was secured, the screaming started. “This boat is far from soundproof,” Elise warned, cracking up.

“All of the marina probably heard us fangirling,” Issa laughed

“All of Troon, you mean,” Adelie chimed in. They chatted for a while and went to dinner.  The four of them had a great time. They talked about hometowns, jobs, music, no subject was off the table.

Afterwards, they all walked back to Elise's flat and she turned to Rory as her friends started going up the stairs. “Thank you so much, you were the sweetest,” she started.

“If all of your friends are that great, I'll do RoryCon every year!” he laughed. 

“Well, either way,” she looked up at him, “I owe you,” she licked her lips. Their goodnight kiss was just passionate enough to make her second guess staying in her apartment as he went back to his boat. 

“Dammit, I better go,” he said.

“Yeah, you better,” she laughed, “Goodnight.” 

She went upstairs to more screaming. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ultravox “Love’s Great Adventure” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-uTcLkVbmU
> 
> Joe Cocker “With a little help from my friends” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCrlyX6XbTU


	19. "RoryCon"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hound's Harem descends on Troon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *see previous notes*

The day for everyone to arrive was nerve-wracking.  Many were coming from Glasgow and taking the train, but at different times. Penelope was taking the train from another town, Gwyn and Rizzo started in Ireland and opted to use the ferry from Belfast after Elise told them about it. She had booked rooms for them at The Anchorage, soon they were all gathering in the lounge for drinks and some snacks. The chatter was growing in excitement and pitch, everyone was so hyped. Soon it was time to head to the marina to see the boat, it was beautiful out, so they walked.  As they were walking through the marina toward her slip, everyone got very quiet and heads were turning every which way. “He’s at a meeting,” Elise said honestly.  Soon the chatter started again and everyone relaxed.  She had chairs on the dock so the women could sit and talk while others were exploring the boat.  

“That is _it_?  Holy crap, how did he fit in there?”

“It looks so nice, you did a great job” 

“Get my picture leaning on the mast!”

“Are we going to watch videos on the sail?” 

To that question, Elise showed them the projector she had for her phone, “As soon as the sun goes down - everything is loaded!”  Tonight it was going to be ‘Game of Thrones’ clips, tomorrow a variety.  They headed to Scott’s and enjoyed the view and food while the chatting continued.  They talked about fanfics, show theories, things happening in their lives - it was like they've known each other for ages.  They headed back to the boat, David and Iain brought a tub of ice with various bottled drinks and baskets of popcorn for them.  Soon the sun was dropping low enough for the videos to start.  Elise was having a great time, there was much cheering at certain things and discussion after many clips.

Finally, they were at the Blackwater scene and everyone’s eyes were riveted to the screen.  Elise was at the back when someone slid behind her. Rory smiled and put his finger to his lips and watched the scene play out, it was if he was waiting for some-

“LOOK AT ME!” he screamed with the video, it rivaled his audition tape in ferocity.  Elise was convinced all of Troon heard that and the aftermath that followed.

Heather-Carolyn, Mary, and Shaya screamed and jumped up, clutching their chests.

Rose and Elly burst into tears and they quickly worked to compose themselves. Penelope, Mal, and Lizzie collectively slid from their seats and sat on the dock in momentary shock.

Gwyn and Rizzo were stunned at first and then leaped from their seats, hugging each other.

Issa and Adelie laughed and took pictures of everyone’s reaction

Elise could have sworn she heard someone say they pissed themselves.  

And over it all, she heard Rory laughing and saying hello. Soon he was surrounded, hugging and depositing kisses to everyone.

Everyone calmed down and resettled to finish watching the clips. Rory sank into a chair next to Elise and flashed her a wicked smile. “You nearly killed the fans that love you most,” she whispered.

“They loved it,” he whispered back.  He put his arm around her and she snuggled into his side.  This was a fabulous night, she couldn’t wait to reveal the surprises for tomorrow.

 

The next day, “RoryCon” resumed with a group of women wearing life jackets on the dock.  Elise was readying Q to start doing quick trips for everyone. There was no way to get all of them onboard for one trip, so they were going to do waves.  What they didn’t know was the surprise that was in store.  Elise had Issa, Adelie and Rose on Q when Rory appeared on the dock. He stood by the ladies chatting on chairs and boomed, “Waiting for a ride a Q?  That’s too boring, let’s go!” He pointed to his boat. At first they stared at him, “C’mon! Elise will beat us back at the rate you are going!”.  He all but lifted the rest of them onto the boat. For hours they switched passengers and did loops around North Bay.  Shouts of laughter and the random “I’m sailing!”  “I’m driving the boat!” “Watch the boom!” filled the air. They trooped to The Anchorage for a buffet lunch where Rory made sure to visit with everyone. By the end of the meal, everyone had a pile of autographs and memory cards loaded with selfies and pictures.  A few folks wanted to go shopping and explore a bit, so they agreed to meet for dinner at Scott’s and then more video clips to round out the night.  Everyone was heading out at various times the next morning.  

“Are you going shopping?” Elise felt a hand on the small of her back.

“No, I want to make sure Q is secured and I have to get ready for the gathering tonight.” she turned to look him.

“I’ve missed you,” he breathed in her ear. The tremor he created shot right to her gut and pooled south.

“Dammit, how do you manage to do that?” she whispered back, curling her hand around his neck.

“Do what?”

“Turn me on with three words. I could jump you right here in the lounge.”

He looked at her and licked his lips, “Come with me.”  He dragged her to the back of the lounge and they pushed their way into the kitchen.  His eyes were darting back and forth, he was either looking for something or assuring they were alone.  He dunked in the office and re-emerged quickly spinning a set of keys on his finger, “Let’s go.”  Elise was confused but followed.  They went outside and he steered her toward a small carport that housed a box truck.  He took the key and went to the back and rolled up the door.  He lifted Elise effortlessly and soon she was in the truck and he followed quickly.  The door was shut and he switched on a small lantern. The truck was empty, it looked like it was used for catering or deliveries.  Elise was pushed gently to the side wall. 

“Hold on to the table strap, you are in for a ride.” He pushed up against her and she felt herself slide up, just like at the pub. That did it, she was soaked already. 

She moaned out something that sounded like, “Fuck me.” her shorts were pulled down and she kicked them off. Soon fingers found the wetness he caused and two went in easily. She grunted and wrapped her leg around his back as she reached for him. “Don't tease me.” She tugged his pants down along with his boxers. She grasped him tightly and started working his length. “Now, I need you now.” She stroked him hard and drew him toward his slick fingers pumping inside her. Soon he pushed in, replacing his fingers and then brought his hand to his mouth, where he slowly licked each digit.  She closed her eyes as the sparks started.

“No, open them and look at me.” The sparks turned into an inferno, consuming her.  He was thrusting and she watched his eyes as the tension built. The release was out if this world, still having his gaze locked into her stare as she let the orgasm wash over her. Her mouth was open in a silent scream as she forgot to breathe. Finally remembering, the sound was guttural. His eyes were blown wide and nearly black. His forehead met hers as he cried out.  

Afterward, they straightened their clothes and slipped back out of the truck. Elise waited while Rory ducked back inside to return the lifted keys.  As they were walking back, curiosity got the best of her.

“Alright, I have to know. How did you know about the truck?”

He glanced sideways and nudged her gently, “Percy, the kitchen manager, let me use it to take my boat covers down to the marina. I took a chance the keys were where I saw them last.”

“And  _ why?” _

_ “Why?!  _ Seriously? If I would have rented a room and dragged you upstairs, how many of your friends would have seen? Or heard? Same with your flat. And dammit, the marina was too far.”

All Elise could do was smile,  _ “God, I love you.”  _ her mind screamed.

 

Later they all gathered for dinner. They had a group picture taken and they were all but draped on Rory, who sat in the middle of the group.  They gathered on the docks again to watch more videos and he answered every question thrown at him the best he could. There were hugs and some tears at the end of the night. There will be a second gathering, they all promised as they headed back to the hotel.  Elise and Rory then headed back to his boat for the night. He was laughing, “Uhh heard some interesting comments tonight. Why on Earth am I being compared to a tree? And many of those ladies would be very open to your sharing me.” He coughed and turned a little red. 

“A tree, well you are quite the man that needs to be climbed and I guess we figured out the group activity for next year.” She turned and laughed at the shocked look on his face.

Later in bed, she lay in his arms, trailing her fingers over his face. He leaned up and kissed her, “I love you, Elise”

Tears sprang to her eyes, “I love you.” They cuddled in bed and quickly fell asleep in each other's arms.

Elise heard the chiming of her phone sometime much later. It was so dark and quiet, the ringtone sounded deafening. Elise stumbled toward the sound half asleep,  _ who in the world is calling my old phone? Ugh!   _ “Hello?” She managed to grumble out while rubbing her eyes and waking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barry White - You're My First My Last My Everything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zfxZRBm3EY [I blame my mom for my love of this song, I blame Vin Diesel for tying it to Rory ;) ]
> 
> Stevie Ray Vaughan “The House is Rockin’” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G84P5K-W1c


	20. Conditions

“Hi, this is Peter, your conditions were accepted, we just have to coordinate calendars to make it work. Rory has a long taping hiatus coming up in 3 weeks, would that be doable?”  Elise blinked and tried to clear her head. She was sitting at her desk, her computer still on with a “Second Chance” email displayed on her monitor.  

It took her a moment to answer because she was in shock, “That would be perfect, I’ll send you my itinerary as soon as I make my travel plans.” She hung up and tried to get her bearings.  _ It was so real _ . Tears blurred her vision before spilling down her cheeks; she could swear she remembered what he felt like, smelled like...tasted like.   _ It was so real _ .

Weeks later when she readied for her trip, she also packed items and labelled them for storage. She then packed boxes that she labelled “Troon”.  Her Realtor friend did a shit job packing her books before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even if you never listened to the chapter music - do it for this one.  
> Roy Orbison ”In Dreams” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPqZs7Vl_xg

**Author's Note:**

> I am a musicophile, every moment of my life has a soundtrack. Many moments in this fic have music, so I'm going to post links when I can.  
> During the bidding process, these songs were on an unless loop in my head.  
> Boom Boom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SxSa6a6am4 (that is what my heart was doing)  
> Come Sail Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm-Vh3j8sys


End file.
